A rare glimpse into Our Early History

Jan 282 min read

Late 19th century / early twentieth - photograph of the women's ward of Mildmay Mission Hospital. Caption reads: Preserving Mildmay's history, a donation of historical photos for our archive.

We are always grateful when people share memories and artefacts connected to our long history of care.

Recently, we received an email from Anne G, offering us an album of early photographs and a postcard of Mildmay Mission Hospital from the late 19th or early 20th century. Anne’s kind donation provides a fascinating insight into the hospital’s past.

The photographs Anne sent us give rare glimpses into Mildmay’s past, showcasing images of the original Mildmay Mission Hospital’s three wards dedicated to women, men and children, nursing uniforms and even biblical quotes on the hospital walls. While we have one of the photographs in our collection already, Anne’s copy is of higher quality, and the rest of the images are entirely new to us, making this donation all the more valuable.

Anne also shared that her grandfather, Dr T.T. Thomson, had a connection with Mildmay from the 1930s onwards. After serving as a medical missionary in India, he frequently visited the hospital and also worked as a GP at the Medical Mission in Islington, even after his ‘retirement.’ We are so pleased to receive this piece of history, which connects us to Mildmay’s roots and the many dedicated individuals, like Dr Thomson, who contributed to our mission of care over the decades.

Contributions like this help us rebuild Mildmay’s archive, which suffered significant losses when the NHS closed the hospital in the early 1980s. Over the past few years, we’ve been working to piece together as much of our history as possible, and every contribution helps us add another thread to the rich tapestry of Mildmay’s story.

This album is a testament to our long-standing commitment to care, which has evolved over more than a century, from our early work in the East End slums to the critical services we provide today.

If you or your family have connections to Mildmay’s history, we would love to hear from you. We are always delighted to add more pieces to our archive, preserving the legacy of those who helped shape who we are today.

As we continue our work to care for the most vulnerable in society, we rely on the generosity of those who support us. Please consider donating today to help us continue our vital work, both in the UK and internationally.