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The early history of this institution
intertwines a little with that of the 'Benevolent Insitution for the
reclaimation of unfortunate women' due no doubt to the friendship of Josephine Butler (Home
for Incurables) and Jane Cragg (Benevolent Institute).
This
began as "a small house in Menzies Street, where
in 1869 the social reformer Josephine Butler established a 'House of Rest'
for women suffering from incurable chronic diseases.".
However as recorded in Josephine Butler's biography, the first inhabitants
of this 'House of Rest' appear to have been young prostitutes. Josephine Butler initially had the prostitutes
from the Liverpool Workhouse living with her, but set up her own home for
them - this was the Menzies Street property. It is thought that this was a short
term housing of the Benevloent Instutute after it left North Street
but before it moved on to South Hill Road.
1871 Gore shows
72 Menzies Street as a " The Home for Incurables".
It is known that this property quickly became too small
for its needs. As the home grew, then
Josephine Butler handed over its running to a committee of ladies and
this seems to co-incide with the opening of a larger premises in Park Hill Road.
Gore's directory provides clues as to the timing. This
was originally thought to be a move, but which now looks more likely
to have been the opening of a second premises without the closure
of the first. ( It was shortly before this time that the Benevolent
Institution moved to South
Hill Road under the matronship of Jane Cragg, who was a friend of Josephine
Butler).
The exact address
in Park Hill Road, (the 'larger premises') is not known, but it may be noted that
Slaters Lancashire directory for 1869 lists a 'Home for Destitute Women' in
Park Hill Road - again without a precise number, Jane J. Wilson was
Matron then. The 1871 Gore is more specific,
listing '85 Park Hill Road: Industrial Home for Girls, Miss Jane B Wilson Matron'.
However it can now be seen that the 85 Park Hill Road address was an institution
before the Menzies Street home moved to the same road, so they were,
initially at least, two distinct entities. Interestingly the 1871 entry (85 Park Hill Rd: Industrial Home for Girls,
Miss Jane B Wilson Matron), only appears once in this series. It seems likely
that this Institution that was taken over as the Home for
Incurables.
In 1872 the entry in the index of Charitable Institutions
shows 'Menzies Streeet "Home for Incurables or House of Rest" Mrs Francis Birkett,
matron'. Gore for 1872
also lists 83 (not 85) Park Hill Road: "House of Rest for Incurables", Miss Sarah Russell,
Matron. (both the Street Index and institution index) whilst 72 Menzies Street
appears appears simply as ' Patrick McAlister'.
The picture seems clear until the following year.
1873,
68 Menzies Street - "House of Rest for Incurables" Frances Birkett,
Superintendent. (entry from Alphabetical person Index).
Institutions index has same information but no street number. Street
index has 68 Menzies Streeet: Caroline Preston.
Meanwhile
83 Park Hill Road shows "House of Rest" Mrs Anne Lancaster, Matron.
however the Institutions Index has:
83 Park Hill Rd " Home for Female Incurables", Mrs Edgar Garston, The
Mount, Aigburth as President.
1874 as for 1873, Gore shows 83 Park Hill Rd " House of Rest" Mrs Anne Lancaster, Matron. For
this year the same entry occurs both
in the street and the Institution index.
So, as Paul Young comments, "all very confusing. A hotch potch of names and addresses for the
original House of Rest institution set up by Josephine Butler"
It is likely however that both the Menzies Street and the Park Hill Road
institutions ran side by side, before finally merging with
the move to Upper
Parliament Street where it ran as a combined institution. This seems to have
happened in 1875.
 By 1875 the Park Hill Road premises
were too small again
and they moved yet again. The hospital became known as the 'Home for Incurables'
and set up in the building in which it would remain for the rest of its existence,
at 96 Upper Parliament Street
at the junction with Princes Road.
The 'Home for
Incurables' was now run by a
General Committee and was 'intended to be a home for women of a
respectable class, who are suffering from chronic complaints of an
incurable nature' (LRO 614 PRI/7/1). Intake of cancer sufferers was limited, as
were geriatric cases, by capacity. Although many patients who entered the home spent
the remainder of their lives there, others did improve and were discharged
so there was some degree of patient turnover.
It may be noted
from the photograph that the central part of the building is in a different
style (look especially at the windows) to both the closest and furthest parts and this may be an indication
of further erxpansion, after the original construction.
After 1885 the home
was known as the 'Liverpool Home for Incurables', (see 1905 map
1c).
In 1894 Miss Ellen Sedgewick was lady
superintendent and Miss Annie Soden holds the same post in 1911.
1926 'Home for Female Incurable,
Miss D M Elliot fem. superintendant.
It
retained the name of 'Liverpool Home for Incurables' until
its absorption into the National Health Service under the aegis of the
South Liverpool Hospital Management Committee in 1948, when it became the
'Home for Invalid Women'.
In 1969 after a further change of name the home
became 'Princes Park Hospital', named after
the park at the other end of Princes Avenue and the area's general name until the "Toxteth" Riots. Although it aimed to
provide care for younger chronically sick women, increasingly its intake
was of geriatric patients. After 1975 the hospital admitted male as well
as female patients.
The hospital closed in 1986
however the buildings have survived and the Princes Park Hospital
is now called Catherine House
and has been converted into residential flats.
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Home
for Incurables - (Princes Park Hospital)