Sources Guides list

Sources Guide: Medical Charities

(not including bodies which legally had charitable status but were solely professional associations, pressure groups, etc, with no philanthropic role)
NB collections range in size from single items to large personal or organisational archives. Collections marked* are not yet fully catalogued. Interim lists are available on application to the duty archivist.

Further information about the materials mentioned below can be found on the Archives and Manuscripts Online Catalogue

In some cases the full detailed catalogues of archive collections are not yet in this online database: hard copy versions are available in the Rare Materials Room of the Library and on request to archs+mss@wellcome.ac.uk

Records of charities

Scottish Hospital, London: Papers relating to the administrative and financial affairs of the Scottish Hospital, Crane Court, Fleet Street, London, 1799-1843 MS.6825

Queen's Nursing Institute (f.1889 as Queen Victoria's Jubilee Institute for Nurses): Established to organise provision of home nursing and midwifery services to the poor: Comprehensive archive plus records of Elizabeth Fry's Nursing Sisters Institution (Protestant Sisters of Charity), deposited records of district nursing associations and personal papers including of Dame Rosalind Paget, 1840-1996 SA/QNI

York Charity Trustees: Petitions to the Charity Trustees of the City of York for the relief of needy townsfolk. Applications for money relate to the Cremitt Fund and to Tyerman's Gift. The hospital petitions contain a recommendation for Sir Henry Thompson's Hospital, 1846-61 MS.6244

Royal Maternity Charity: Proxy slip signed by a Governor of the Charity empowering Dr Robert Barnes to vote for Dr Fancourt Barnes as Physician to the Western District, 1883 MS.7146

Mental Aftercare Association (f.1879): Founded by the chaplain of Colney Hatch Asylum to provide an alternative to the workhouse for those discharged from asylums, housing ex-patients in private individuals' homes and establishing a network of visitors. Later also undertook preventive care and provision of holiday accommodation for patients not yet ready for discharge, administration of centralised homes and participation in community and respite care projects. Archive includes annual reports, accounts; scrapbooks containing many early records; minutes; photographs and some case records, c.1886-1994 SA/MAC

National Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis (f. 1899 as the National Association for the Prevention of Consumption and other forms of Tuberculosis): records relating to its activities in the field of tuberculosis prevention and facilities for treatment, including those of the Spero Fund, Cambridgeshire Tuberculosis After-care Association, the Queen Alexandra Sanatorium, Davos, Central Fund for the Industrial Welfare of Tuberculous Persons, and other bodies providing assistance to sufferers, 1890s-1990s, SA/NPT

British Social Hygiene Council (f. 1914 as the National Council for Combatting Venereal Diseases. Name changed in 1925): Minutes of Council, Annual and Executive meetings, and other committees, sub-committees, standing committees and advisory boards, 1914-57; also London and Home Counties Branch/Committee minutes, 1917-40; a few financial records, 1942-52; and journal Health and Empire, 1926-40 SA/BSH

Nation's Fund for Nurses (f.1917): Established by appeal of Lady Cowdray's British Women's Hospital to endow the College of Nursing and a tribute fund to help nurses whose health had been broken by the war. Records include those of the British Women's Hospital Committee, 1915-20, memorabilia of Lady Cowdray and records of charities which came to be administered by the NFN, including the Edith Cavell Homes of Rest for Nurses, 1916-84 SA/NFN

Cancer Research Campaign (f.1923 as the British Empire Cancer Campaign, renamed 1970): Founded to promote research into prevention and cure of cancer. Archives of the Campaign from its foundation to c.1983, including minutes; press cuttings volumes; subject files covering cancer 'cures' and causes, apparatus, equipment and chemicals, cancer education, local branches, relations with other UK and overseas cancer organisations, appeals, and enquiries from the public, 1923-81 SA/CRC

Charterhouse Rheumatism Clinic: f. 1928 in Southwark by H. Warren Crowe, later moved to Weymouth St in the West End of London, provided free or low-cost treatment to those of low income. A few records relating to its activities, including fund-raising, 1930s-60s GC/47

Family Planning Association (formerly National Birth Control Association, f. 1930): lobbied for the incorporation of birth control into the public health services, and set up voluntary clinics to provide birth control. Large archive, including administrative material and records of research into efficacy of contraceptive products, fund-raising, relations with central and local government and branches of the Association; also records of related bodies, e.g. Walworth Women's Welfare Centre, Manchester and Salford Clinic, North Kensington Women's Welfare Centre, 1920s-70s SA/FPA

National Birthday Trust Fund (f. 1928): Established to improve maternity services, campaigned to improve the standard of midwifery, and to provide pain relief for mothers in childbirth. Archive includes, besides administrative records, substantial materials on fund-raising activities, as well as on its support of research and surveys on topics related to childbirth and maternal welfare, 1920s-70s SA/NBT

The Pioneer Health Centre, Peckham: Includes files relating to support for the Pioneer Health Centre by the Sir Halley Stewart Trust, and other bodies, 1930s-50s SA/PHC

Multiple Sclerosis Society (f. 1953): Set up to encourage scientific research into the causes and cure of MS, and to stimulate the provision of support groups for sufferers. Records of the founder and chairman, Sir Richard Cave MVO KSG, including general, medical, and branch files, and files of the International Federation of Multiple Sclerosis Societies, 1953-77 SA/MSS

British Migraine Association (f.1958)/ Migraine Trust (f.1965): Small accumulation of records of these two organisations, established to provide support for sufferers and to promote research; with miscellaneous publications, 1960s-70s SA/MIG

Camberwell Council on Alcoholism (f.1963): The first of the community councils on alcoholism to be set up in the UK, arising out of interest of doctors at the Maudsley Hospital in South London. Promoted preventive and diagnostic work in the study of the disease and the treatment of alcoholics. Minutes, annual reports, reports and research papers, files on alcoholism, homelessness, licensing laws, drunken driving, etc, and regarding liaison with related bodies, 1961-80 SA/CCA

Patients’ Association: Papers of voluntary organisation set up to address the concerns of health service users, 1963–96 SA/PAT

Association for Research into Restricted Growth (f. 1969): Small group of papers, 1969-88, of this organisation set up to deal with the problems of individuals suffering from a range of disorders leading to restricted growth SA/RRG

Child Accident Prevention Trust (f.1979): Set up following 1977 Medical Commission on Accident Prevention conference to initiate and co-ordinate research into accidents to children and to disseminate information on prevention. Records and publications, 1977-91 SA/CAP

BACUP (British Association of Cancer United Patients and their families and friends) (f. 1985): Founded to offer professional and practical advice, as well as emotional counselling, for cancer patients and their families. Administrative papers, correspondence, publications, press cuttings and photographs, 1976-93 SA/BAC

Genetic Alliance UK: founded to give a voice to those people affected by genetic conditions; minutes, annual reports, newsletters and other publications, 1989-2010 SA/GIG

People and bodies associated with charities

Thomas Hodgkin and other members of Hodgkin family: Extensive archive of personal papers containing material on charitable activity in the United Kingdom and on contact with developing nations abroad, including missionary activity, 1725-1980 and n.d. PP/HO

Joseph Partridge, curate of Baddiley, Cheshire: Letter applying to a charity for assistance to support his mentally ill daughter Sarah; with a supporting note by W. Gorst MD and R. Wicksted, surgeon, of Nantwich, 1782 MS.7674/2

Thomas Dutton, London sugar cooper: Letter to a family friend, giving details of the will of Nicholas Nixon (d.1790), a merchant of Mincing Lane, London, whose beneficiaries include Bethlem, St. Luke's, Christ's and St. Bartholomew's Hospitals, the Asylum for Female Orphans at St George's Fields, and the Tower Ward Charity School, 1790 MS.7544/1

Francis James Bailey: Testimonials for F J Bailey, mainly by members of staff at the Charing Cross Hospital and Medical School, used in applying for the posts of surgeon accoucheur to the Liverpool Ladies' Charity, and surgeon to the Toxteth workhouse, 1856-9 MS.5154

Thomas Frederick Isaacson Blaker: Casebook including cases treated at Guy's Hospital and midwifery cases recorded as an extern for an unnamed London charity, 1873-4 MS.6293

Wellcome Archives: Letter of thanks for HSW donation to medical charity, 1885 WA/HSW

Sir Leonard Rogers: Tropical medicine specialist in the Indian Medical Service, founder member of the British Leprosy Relief Association (later LEPRA). Papers include correspondence on foundation of BELRA, and material on leprosy worldwide, mainly 1920s and in Africa, 1950s PP/ROG

British Medical Association: Files include material regarding liaison between the BMA and various medical charitable bodies, as well as copious material on Friendly Societies, c.1907-c.1962 SA/BMA

Helen Alice Dorothy Barlow: Papers relating to her involvement with Southwark Charities including correspondence, a casebook and reports relating to the Southwark Boys Aid Association, 1914-36, and minutes, correspondence and administrative papers relating to the Quinn Square Social Centre, 1935-51 PP/BAR

Robina Addis: One of the earliest professionally trained psychiatric social workers in Britain, qualifying in 1933 and working in child guidance and, from 1946, for the National Association for Mental Health. Papers from many areas of her life and work, including lectures and publications, 1917-85 PP/ADD

Charles and Dorothea Singer: Circulars from the Refugees Joint Consultative Committee, 1939-48 PP/CJS

Dame Honor Fell: Papers include her involvement in the Society for the Protection of Science and Learning and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, 1940s-70 PP/HBF

Sir Richard Cave: Correspondence with, and publications of, various philanthropic bodies including the Society for the Relief of Distress and Queen Elizabeth's Foundation for the Disabled, 1950s-70s GC/220

Rudolph Karl and Gerda Freudenberg: material relating to their involvement with local and national bodies, mainly in the field of mental health, but including League of Hospital Friends and Council for Music in Hospitals, 1960s-70s PP/RKF

Stanley George Browne: material relating to his connections with the International Leprosy Association, The Leprosy Mission, LEPRA, Medical Missionary Association, Christian Medical Fellowship, 1960s-80s WTI/SGB

Cicely Delphine Williams (1893-1992) Paediatrician and nutritionist: Papers reflecting her long career as colonial medical officer and, post-war, lecturer and consultant in maternal and child health, include relations with the Family Planning Association, the Infant Formula Action Coalition, the Anti-Slavery Society and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, 1964-82 PP/CDW

Mary Catterall: a little material among her papers relating to the Willow Cottage Gardens and Studios for the blind and those with head injuries PP/CAT

***

Researchers' attention is also drawn to two online databases, the Wellcome/National Archives Hospital Records Database and the Medical Archives and Manuscripts Survey of materials 1600-1945 in repositories in the Greater London area, which include items of relevance.