The East End Maternity Hospital at Theydon Mount.

The East End Maternity Hospital was founded in 1884 as the Mother's Lying-in Hospital in Shadwell, an inner city area which lies between Wapping and Limehouse. In 1889 the hospital moved to Commercial Road and became known as the East End Mothers Home. By 1930 it had about 60 beds. The hospital was established for the treatment of poor married women during childbirth and also for the training of midwives and nurses.

At the outbreak of war in 1939, the hospital was closed and the authorities needed to find suitable premises in a safe location and Epping was considered such an area and Hill Hall, which at the time was owned by Edward, Lord Hay seemed an ideal building. Lord Hay agreed that part of Hill Hall could be used for the war effort and the servant’s wing was considered the most suitable part for the location of the maternity hospital.
The servant’s wing faced south-west and was two storeys high. The ground floor contained three main rooms and a storeroom, whilst the first floor contained seven bedrooms and a bathroom.
In September 1939, staff patients and equipment was moved from the east end to Hill Hall and the training school was also transferred following the approval of the Central Midwives Board. Provision was also needed for those expectant mothers who had been evacuated a suitable hostel was found at Spriggs Oak, Palmers Hill, in Epping, prior to their confinement at Hill Hall. Spriggs Oak which was offered by its owner, Councillor William Trent, a member of the Epping Urban District Council, consisted of a 3 storey building, with tennis court, croquet lawn.
An Evacuation Committee took charge of the running of the hostel on behalf of the council and it preparations made to accommodate between 30 and 35 people. A paid resident cook/superintendent was put in charge of the hostel, which opened on the 23 September 1939, the cost of running it being estimated at £1,100 per annum.
Meanwhile the Management Committee of the East End Maternity Hospital led by the Chairman, Lady Margaret Ebbisham, held a meeting at Hill Hall in late September where it was decided that Doctors would be allowed to send patients from the East End directly to Hill Hall for treatment.
With the ‘phoney war’ the expected air raids did not materialise and it was suggested to the Ministry of Health that the East End Maternity Hospital should re-open, which was agreed. However Hill Hall and Spriggs Oak continued to receive expectant mothers in the autumn and winter of 1939/1940.
Expectant mothers were expected to pay 1/6d per day towards their keep, and those experiencing financial problems being advised to seek help from the Ministry of Labour.
In November the Evacuation Committee braced themselves for an expected large influx of expectant mothers that were due to arrive in Epping under the Government evacuation scheme. Much effort was put in place to receive them, but the mothers did not arrive and the committee later expressed its annoyance at the situation.
Relationships between the Evacuation Committee and the Management Committee were also strained, due to the arrival of a number of expectant mothers who arrived at Hill Hall from the East End and were taken to Spriggs Oak. As none of these women were part of the official Government scheme, they were deemed to be ‘late evacuees’ and none were asked to make any contribution to their keep. Of the six women who arrived on the 12th December, three were unable to pay the 1/6d for food. When the matter was referred to the Ministry of Labour, an official said he was unable to treat them as evacuees and they therefore did not qualify for financial assistance, a decision that was confirmed by the Ministry of Health.
At a meeting of the Epping Urban District Council Evacuation Committee on the 13 January 1940, they regarded the situation as intolerable and in its summing up questioned why the ratepayers of Epping should be paying the costs of maternity services for persons living in the East End, while they were denied such facilities themselves.
The report by the Epping Urban District Council Evacuation Committee which met on the 13 January 1940 stated:

"Sometime between September and December 1939 the point was reached when the persons receiving treatment at Hill Hall were no longer bona-fide evacuees. The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labour have reached this conclusion; there is no reason why Epping Urban District Council and Essex County Council should not concur with this view.

If this view is correct, is there any reason: -

(a) Why Essex County Council should continue to pay the salaries of staff and the administrative expenses of Hill Hall?

(b) Why Epping Urban District Council, as an agent for the Ministry of Health, should continue to accommodate expectant mothers at Sprigg 's Oak?

These persons either are evacuees or they are not evacuees. If they are, they are entitled to shelter in the Receiving Area at the expense of the Government and are also entitled to assistance from the Ministry of Labour where appropriate.

If they are not evacuees, then they are entitled to none of the benefits of evacuation.

It appears that any pregnant woman living in the East End with no intention of being evacuated can, by giving their name at the East End Maternity Hospital, secure ante-natal treatment, conveyance from London to Epping, accommodation at Sprigg's Oak prior to confinement, the care and attention of competent staff during confinement, post-natal treatment and conveyance back to London, all entirely free of charge."

At the conclusion of the meeting, it was decided that the report should be sent to Essex County Council and the Ministry of Health for consideration. The committee agreed that if the position over who should pay for the reception and housing of persons who appear not to be evacuees under the official Government scheme was not clearly and satisfactorily defined by the end of January, the Council would close Sprigg's Oak and would refuse to accept for billeting any further expectant mothers who had been registered for treatment at Hill Hall.

Mr. J. Hawton, the Senior Regional Officer at Cambridge contacted the Ministry of Health at Whitehall for advice about the situation. A week later a conference was held in Cambridge between the Ministry of Health and Essex County Council. The whole arrangements for maternity provision in Epping was reviewed and when it was completed Mr. Hawton sent a letter dated the 30 January 1940 to Lady Ebbisham. The letter detailed the outcome of the review and stipulated 13 propositions regarding future arrangements between the Hospital and Essex County Council in respect of the Hill Hall Maternity Hospital. These propositions were: -

(1) The County Council should be clearly responsible for the home and should be in general control of it and the staff. This would be as per the Councils responsibility for emergency accommodation for evacuated expectant mothers, as per the Ministry of Health's instructions,

(2) The County Council would endeavour to preserve the continuity of the East End Maternity Hospital and its training school.

(3) While in clear control of the staff, the County Council would undertake to make no changes in the staff without either agreement of the Hospital, or, failing agreement, approval of the Ministry.
(4) The County Council would pay the staff and all outgoings and be responsible for the maintenance and equipment of the home generally. But the Hospitals equipment would be left therefor continual use.

(5) The Hospital would arrange to supply patients by booking them out from the London end in numbers agreed from time to time with the County Council. The patients would be properly registered as evacuees in a manner to be agreed with London County Council - whom the Hospital should approach at once in this regard.

(6) The Hospital would arrange to recover appropriate charges for these patients at the London end. paying over these charges to the County Council.

(7) The County Council and the Hospital would take steps at once to settle a financial agreement - based on the principle that any funds in-coming to the Hospital would, after deducting necessary outgoings in respect of their continuing activities in London, be handed over to the County Council. The County Council would then account for these funds and claim on the evacuation account on a deficiency basis. Any such financial agreement would require the Ministry's approval.

(8) The Hospital would have the right to send out pupils and to exchange them between Hill Hall and London - subject to the numbers of the pupils and staff at Hill Hall not exceeding such numbers as the Ministry may approve. The matron at Hill Hall should be permitted to continue to supervise the training arrangements at the London end, subject to this not interfering unduly with the proper conduct of the work at Hill Hall.

(9) The question of the payment of salaries to pupils and its effects upon the grant to be taken separately by the Hospital with the Ministry at Whitehall.

(10) It would be clearly stipulated that Hill Hall would remain liable to take other evacuees than those registered through the Hospital, but, subject to any pressing necessity of the evacuation scheme, Hill Hall would be regarded as having a primary connection with the Hospital and its patients.

(11) The arrangements for the transport of patients from the Hospital to Hill Hall would be for the Hospital to take up separately with the London County Council

(12) The proposed financial agreement between the County Council and the Hospital would be made retrospective to an agreed date from which Hill Hall could be regarded as having become primarily connected to the Hospital, e.g. from the date when the patients booked out directly by the Hospital outnumbered the evacuee patients otherwise received at Hill Hall.

(13) With regards to Sprigg's Oak, it is suggested that this should be taken over under the direct control of the County Council as part of its emergency maternity arrangements. This taking over would be arranged between the County Council and the Epping Urban District Council, in agreement with the Ministry.

Mr. Hawton concluded his letter by asking that the Management Committee let him know that the propositions were acceptable, and whether they were agreeable to discussing immediately with the County Council an arrangement on these lines for the Ministry's approval. A similar letter was sent to Essex County Council.

On the 10th April 1940 the Management Committee held a meeting at 41 Upper Brook Street, London W1. They carefully considered the points raised in the letter paragraph by paragraph, and a reply was sent with some amendments. The committee agreed that if the Ministry were unable to accept these amendments the Chairman was empowered to make the best arrangements possible. The main amendments requested by the committee in their reply were as follows:-

(1) Regarding point 4 — it should be stipulated that the equipment is to be handed back in the same condition as when taken over, and that the wages of the Matron, Almoner, and Secretary should be included in that paid by the County Council. Also the fees of the Lecturer, Dr. Oxley who attends from London twice a week at £75 per quarter should also be included.

(2) Regarding point 7 - it is not anticipated that there will be a surplus and so it is considered that this point should be deleted.

(3) Regarding point 8 - the committee considers that it should be permitted to supervise the [training arrangements of the pupil midwives.

(4) Regarding point 9 - the committee cannot take over the responsibility of salaries to pupils as the Ministry of Health has already refused some grants if pupils receive payment.

(5) Regarding point 11 -the committee will do their utmost to arrange transport with the London County Council, but cannot be responsible for transport if the London County Council cannot arrange it. The London County Council have only promised to assist in cases where patients are sent in parties of 4 and 6, and that is not often possible.

(6) Regarding point 12 - the date of the agreement should be from the time that the patients were transferred to Hill Hall, namely the 2nd September 1939, and should continue until Hill Hall is closed as far as the East End Maternity Hospital is concerned.

The letter was signed by Lady Ebbisham and immediately sent to Mr. J. Hawton.
Despite the disagreements, the situation was eventually resolved. In July the "West Essex Gazette" confirmed that Essex County Council had officially taken over the running of Sprigg's Oak. At the same time the Council also re-took control of the Hill Hall Maternity Hospital. All parties were satisfied with the new arrangements and both the hospital and the hostel were able to continue to provide the important services required for evacuated mothers and their babies.

From September 1939, when the Maternity Hospital had opened at Hill Hall, to April 1940 there had been 472 admissions to the hospital and 350 babies had been delivered. Once Essex County Council had taken control in July, expectant mothers from the Epping area could also be admitted to Hill Hall and Sprigg's Oak instead of being sent to St. Margaret's Hospital. Women could still be sent from the East End as long as they were officially classed as "evacuees".

A photograph taken in September 1940 by Doris Messenger, who worked in the Hospital, showing a Sister (3rd from the left) and five mothers. The women are standing on the terrace at the south facing side of Hill Hall.

In the early summer months of 1940, the Hill Hall Maternity Hospital had to contend with the problem of "sticky eyes" in the infants. This problem was occurring very frequently and the County Medical Officer of Health was asked to investigate. He found that the probable source of the infection was the dust between the floorboards in some bedrooms. Six of the bedrooms were affected and it was decided that the floors should be covered with linoleum at an estimated cost of £21.

As the "phoney war" had ended in July, the Ministry of Health decided that patients in its Maternity Hospitals required some protection against air raids and instructed that shelters be built. The County Architect visited Hill Hall and suggested that a shelter could be built in the area of the house known as "The Crimson Corridor" at an estimated cost of £50. Permission from Lord and Lady Hay would be required and if this was not forthcoming, the only alternative was the building of a surface shelter in the grounds adjoining the hospital.

A potential problem for the Management Committee was the RAF's plan to house a number of its personnel in the Great Hall at Hill Hall if North Weald aerodrome was badly damaged during an air raid. The committee considered that if this did happen the premises could no longer be used as a maternity hospital and alternative accommodation would be needed.

In August Lady Edward Hay granted her consent for the air raid shelter to be built in The Crimson Corridor but requested that valuable red silk in the corridor should be protected by suitable covering to a height of six feet. The additional expenditure for this was estimated to be £10. It was also decided that the windows of the hospital should be covered with splinter-proof netting, and that a refuge room on the ground floor of the hospital should be provided for the use of members of staff during air raids. This reflected the fact that the "phoney war" was well and truly over and that bombs had begun to fall in the Epping area. On the 24th August North Weald aerodrome, which was only a few miles from Hill Hall, was bombed and badly damaged, but the RAF did not need to implement the plan to transfer personnel to Hill Hall.