Isolation Hospital

May I call upon the knowledge of the members of the Message Board, with the following.

There was a reference a little while ago to the "Isolation Hospital".

In the 1841 Census William Henry Vaughan was not listed with his family
searching further I found a William Vaughan as a patient aged 15 (correct age) in the Bristol Royal Infirmary.

I have looked on the Bristol Family History Site, and e mailed them but have not as yet received a reply.

Why would a man of the Forest be in Bristol Royal Infirmary, why not Gloucester, would it be that it was a Specialist Hospital - but for what medical reason would he be sent to Bristol when there was 1) a local hospital and 2) an Isolation Hospital or 3) was it because medical facilities were not availablelocally in 1841.

William Henry Vaughan died aged 35 "taken from us with a sudden illness"
is on the headstone on his grave.

Any information suggestions etc are much appreciated.

Barbara.

Hello Barbara,When I was a child there were at least 2 Isolation Hospitals in the FOD,1 at The Wilderness on Plump Hill above Mitcheldean and another near Greenbottom,close to Littledean.There may have been more in the Forest which I am not aware of.A further isolation hospital was also at Over between Highnam and Gloucester.I spent 3months in the Wilderness from November 1939 toFebruary 1940 with Diptheria and Scarlet Fever,a cousin of mine died there of the same illness.There was an epidemic at that time.
The practice of sending patients out of the area still exists as Gloucester Royal does not cover all treatments.Patients are sent to Bristol Royal for heart operations [also Oxford] and Oncology,head injuries are often referred to Bristol Frenchay and burns were dealt with at St Lawrence Hospital Chepstow.One can only assume that the practice is of long standing although how they would have transported people in the earlier times would have been somewhat difficult.
Both the Wilderness and Greenbottom hospitals have now closed,the Wilderness is an educational centre and Greenbottom which was a wooden structure has been demolished and is now the site of a bungalow.

Thank you Maurice, your information has certainly given me some background information and of course I am talking about a long time ago, it gives much food for thought did they have a "NHS" crisis in those days. Your comment regarding how did they get them to hospital this could be a subject in itself.

Barbara.

There was also an Isolation Hospital in Alvington but whether or not it was there in the time of your guy or not I don't know but I do know it was there in 1941 because my Nan's sister died there aged 9.

Joanne

Hello Joanne,

I think maybe when I posted the message about William Henry Vaughan being in the Bristol Royal Infirmary, I was clutching at straws, the only reason I could think as to why he was in Bristol was the need to isolate, through an illness such as a fever diptheria etc.

Watty has suggested that he may have been working in the area and taken ill which again is a possible suggestion

Thank you for your interest.

Barbara.

Hello Joanne
I was a patient in Alvington Isolation Hospital about the same time as your Nan`s sister.I was 7 in 1941 and was admitted with scarlet fever & remember a little girl died two beds down....Dr Carson came to do conjuring tricks to cheer us up...
Do you happen to know how our parents got us to the place?No ambulances of course...
Best Wishes,Nancy

I do believe the bungalow which now stands on the site of the isolation hospital was built by my uncle (harold Gardner). He had an orchard at the back and kept chickens there as well. He eventually sold the bungalow and moved to Gloucester a few years ago.

Barbara
This may a wild guess but several foresters worked on the boats that plied between Lydney and Bullo to the other channel ports. If taken ill at Bristol he could have ended up at the Infirmary.

Watty

Hi Watty,

Thank you for your reply, this could be a useful line to explore, William was born in the Pludds, and was a younger Son, and maybe he would have to take up another career if the farm could not support all members of the family.

The 1841 Census entry shows him as a "Sall Manager" or "Tall Manager" I cannot interprete it properly. I would state though that he was only 15.

So again thank you and any more suggestions would be appreciated.

Barbara.

could be Salt Monger - I'm sure of the Monger part , I'd be happier to find Sand ( from the Severn Estuary ) or Stone ( from the Forest) as the items he was selling :-)

looking again its more like Sell Monger, which I think is an archaic form of Merchant. < Thanks M for the off line suggestion of Fell Monger>

then he becomes a Haulier (1851) later in life

Slowhands you are magic. Thank you very much. I find that if I can buildup a picture of the life and background of my Ancesters it makes the hobby even more addictive than it is already.

Barbara.

I've looked at the image again and I'm sure that what is recorded is Sell Monger.

However I'm starting to feel ( and there is some offline debate here ) that he was more likely to be a Fell Monger coming from a farming / country background, which was either mis heard or not understood by the Enumerator in the City of Bristol .

Fell Monger-One who removes hair or wool from hides in preparation for leather making

FELLMONGER....Dealer in hides and skins esp. sheep.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Fellmonger \\Fell"mon`ger\\, n.
A dealer in fells or sheepskins, who separates the wool from
the pelts.

Slow Hands, - I think I would agree with you, it would be very easy to mis-hear, S's and F's can sound very similar.

You realise that I will have to investigate this occupation further!!!!

Barbara.

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