This article contains a selection of photos dating from the early 1900's and obtained from various sources.
Unless stated otherwise the following photos have been reproduced by kind permission of Janet Marlowe daughter of Harry and Constance Croft who arrived in Rugby in the 1930s and are taken from a collection of photos owned by the family. A number of these photos are also in the public domain - it is probable that Mr and Mrs Croft obtained copies from the Rugby Advertiser or other sources.
The couple joined the laundry service at St Lukes and over a period of time rose to become Head Porter and Head of Laundry at the Hospital of St Cross when the hospitals were merged under the ‘Group 20’ management.
At the time the hospital administrator was Captain Cockburn and the Matrons were Ms Baxter and Ms Ryde.
The descriptions are taken from annotations on the photographs or the sources credited and a history of the Hospital (from 1884-1984) written by members of Rugby Local History Group and published on their behalf by the West Midlands Regional Health Authority.
Click on this link to read the full version of the Hospital of St.Cross, Rugby 1884 -1984 or this link to read a summary of the key dates and information up until 2012.
In 1912 a fundraising bazaar was held to fund the extension of the Hospital. Click this link to see a copy of the programme which contains some additional information and illustrations.
1900s Hatton Ward
Source www.windowsonwarwickshire.org.uk
1907 Group outside St Cross Hospital during a visit by H.R.H Princess Henry of Battenberg to open the new children's ward.
From left to right are J T Smith, G W Walton, W H Linnell, Mr Arthur James, Mrs Arthur James, Canon Baillie, Princess Henry of Battenberg, Hon Mrs Baillie, Marchioness of Hertford, Revd. Charles Elsee, Mr C F Harris and W D Muriel. Rugby. Source www.windowsonwarwickshire.org.uk
Reverend Charles Elsee - Chairman of the Local Board of Health and Urban District Council
Photo taken of the portrait on display in the Rugby Museum in May 2014
Nurses outside the original entrance to the hospital
This is believed to have been taken in 1914 - contributed by Tony Evans
1928 The first wooded orthopaedic pavilion
This was particularly used for the treatment of Tuberculosis cases and was later replaced by the Sun Pavilion
The Foundation Stone for a new Out Patients department
The stone laid by Mrs Venetia Jones on 28th September 1928
Read more about Mrs Jones who was a well connected patron at the time!
The stone is now located in a wall in a corridor in the Octapus Centre