Building    To 1905

Bartram House

Categories: Property

This Georgian house was on The Green, Hampstead, in an area now occupied by the west-most part of the Hampstead Royal Free Hospital. It was Sir Rowland Hill's home for 30 years, during which time Samuel Sanders Teulon was his neighbour - more info about the locality on that page. The Picture source has an 1896 map showing exactly where, and says "Following the death of Sir Rowland Hill, his son sold Bertrams {sic} and three acres to the {hospital} board and the house was used as a nurse’s {sic} home." All the Georgian buildings were demolished by 1905.

2017: Reading an article concerning smallpox in Hampstead, in the Camden History Review 41, we learnt a little more about this house and its locality. In 1867 the Metropolitan Asylum Board announced its plan to build a fever and smallpox hospital on "Old Bartrams" the site now occupied by the Royal Free and adjacent to Bartram House. Hill, his wealthy neighbours and the Hampstead Vestry all vigorously objected, based on the widely held belief that diseases spread through the air. The Hampstead Fever Hospital was nonetheless built and enlarged and opposition continued, through the law courts.

When Hill died in 1878 his son Pearson took on the cause and the battle continued until 1883 when an agreement was finally reached. This included the MAB purchasing Bartram House and three acres of land. Initially the House was used as a nurses' home, and the hospital expanded onto the newly acquired land. In 1901 the House was transferred to the next-door Hampstead Home Hospital, in exchange for some of their land. They demolished the house and erected a new building (foundation stone here), renaming themselves the Hampstead General Hospital. The two hospitals remained separate until 1973 when they were both demolished and recreated as the Royal Free.

Lost Hospitals also provides valuable information.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Bartram House

Commemorated ati

Rowland Hill - NW3 - second erection

The 1892 erection must have been on the house in which Hill lived and died, B...

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Rowland Hill - NW3 - third erection

Rowland Hill, KCB, originator of the Penny Post, lived here, 1849 - 1879. Bor...

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T. Rider and Sons

T. Rider and Sons

Builders active in 1975.

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1 memorial
Cobley Farm and  Fallow Farm

Cobley Farm and Fallow Farm

First documented in 1674, at its largest the farmland was bounded by High Road, Ballards Lane, Long Lane, Squire's Lane.  The Cobley family owned he farm from 1680 to 1902 when it was sold, the bui...

Place, Gardens / Agriculture, Property

4 memorials
J. Cochrane and Sons

J. Cochrane and Sons

Builders active in 1902.

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2 memorials
Bolton House / 71 Russell Square

Bolton House / 71 Russell Square

UCL has an extremely helpful page on Bolton House: Built in 1759 for Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore (1731-71) as Baltimore House and in 1770 leased by the Duke of Bolton when it changed its...

Building, Property

1 memorial
4th Duke of Queensberry

4th Duke of Queensberry

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1 memorial