The Tobyn Post: City of London Lying in Hospital

City of London Lying In Hospital, City Road, had as part of this hospital a chapel attached, which was principally intended for the "wives of poor industrious Tradesmen or distressed House-keepers" and the wives of soldiers and sailors. It was founded in 1750 for married women only. The original building was situated in Aldersgate street London House. In 1771 still on Aldersgate street the hospital moved to Shaftesbury house.
The hospital moved premises once again but this time to the corner of Old street in City Road on 31st March 1773.

The Museum Curator for the Royal College of Midwives Heritage Team uncovered a beautiful if somewhat battered very old 18th century midwifery certificate awarded to a Mary Burford of the City of London Lying-in Hospital. The certificate is dated 15th April 1779, which makes it the oldest item in the RCM Archive collection.

Mrs Anne Newby of the City of London Lying-in-Hospital is another interesting figure who served as a matron and midwife for 36 years. In 1803 she received a silver medal from the Humane Society for her extraordinary success in recovering 500 babies, who at first were thought to be stillborn. She also engaged in charitable programs to provide clothing for the hospital’s poorest patients. She died in 1813.

The hospital was damaged by the construction of the Great Northern and City Railway underneath Old Street, the hospital was then demolished and rebuilt on the same site between 1904 and 1907.
The rules were relaxed in 1912, to allow "Singlewomen who are sufficiently recommended and are found to be deserving of the Benefits of the Hospital's Charity" to be eligible for admission for their first confinement and the name was changed to the City of London Maternity Hospital in 1918.

During WW2 On 9th September 1940,a week after the evacuation, the northern wing of the Hospital was destroyed by a bomb, fortunately with no loss of life. The remaining in-patients were transferred to Friern Hospital, some ten miles away. The rear part of the building had to be demolished, although the front part continued to be used for the Out-Patients Department and administration. More bombs on 6th April and 10th May 1941 further damaged the building.

The out-patient maternity service continued, with expectant mothers delivered in their own homes, whilst those willing to leave London were sent to Brocket Hall.

In January 1942, 12 emergency maternity beds were made available in the London Fever Hospital in Liverpool Road. The number was later increased to 40.

In 1946, after the end of the war, the Hospital took over financial responsibilities for Brocket Hall from Hertfordshire County Council.

In 1948 the Hospital joined the NHS under the control of the Northern Group Hospital Management Committee, part of the North West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board.

They decided not to rebuild the Hospital on the noisy City Road and, in November 1949, it reopened with 52 beds in Hanley Road, Tollington park N4,in premises bought from the Institute of the Blind. Clinics continued to be held in the City Road building until 1955 when a new Out-Patients Department was built adjacent to the Hanley Road premises.

Its doors were closed in 1983 and amalgamated with the Obstetric Unit at the Whittington Hospital to form the present City of London Maternity Unit.

I have included illustrations, photos and maps with this post.
Sources include:
LMA
Museum of London
RCM Archive
Layers of London
Lost hospitals of London