Group    From 17/4/1828 

Royal Free Hospital

Categories: Medicine

Founded by William Marsden as the London General Institution for the Gratuitous Cure of Malignant Diseases on 17th April 1828 in a rented 4-storey house at 16 Greville Street, Hatton Garden. September 1833 the name changed to London Free Hospital (good move).  1835 it became the Free Hospital.  1837 Queen Victoria became its patron and it became the Royal Free Hospital.

1844 the hospital moved to the former barracks of the Light Horse Volunteers in Grays Inn Road.  These buildings were gradually expanded and rebuilt.  1929 the Eastman Dental Clinic opened next door. 1948 the Hospital became part of the NHS and joined a group of other hospitals one of which was the Hampstead General Hospital. 1974 the Hospital moved to a new building in Pond Street Hampstead and the Grays Inn Road site was closed.  The Pond Street building was officially opened by the Queen in 1978, on the Hospital’s 150th anniversary.  The Grays Inn Road buildings were taken over by the Eastman Dental Hospital in 1988.

All this information comes from the splendid Lost Hospitals.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Royal Free Hospital

Commemorated ati

PP - 3H - Rabbeth

Samuel Rabbeth, medical officer of the Royal Free Hospital, who tried to save...

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Royal Free Hospital - 150 anniversary tree

This Mulberry was donated by the League of the Royal Free Hospital Nurses to ...

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Royal Free Hospital and Medical School Opening

The plaque is by the entrance to the Medical School.

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Royal Free Hospital - development

The spelling of "honor" is not a mistake on our part.

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Royal Free Hospital - Sussex wing

The Duke of Sussex had died just 3 years before this plaque was erected. We ...

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Other Subjects

Dr Josiah Oldfield

Dr Josiah Oldfield

Lawyer, physician, and writer on health. And creator of hospitals - read on. Born Shrewsbury. At Oxford University he became a vegetarian and a friend of Gandhi. First qualified as a barrister and...

Person, Medicine, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson

Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson

Scholar and Humanist. Born at Langham Chambers, near Oxford Circus. Although qualified as a doctor, he decided to follow an academic career. He lectured at Cambridge and in 1896 published 'The Gree...

Person, Medicine, Philosophy

1 memorial
Walter Reed

Walter Reed

American army surgeon prominent in proving that yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes. Born Belroi, Virginia. Died Washington.

Person, Armed Forces, Medicine, USA

1 memorial
James W. Knott

James W. Knott

Corps Secretary in the St John Ambulance Brigade, Metropolitan Corps, 1887-1889.

Person, Emergency Services, Medicine, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
C. Alan Palmer

C. Alan Palmer

Corps Officer in the St John Ambulance Brigade, Metropolitan Corps, 1887-1895, 1915-1921. Serving Brother in the Order of St John.

Person, Emergency Services, Medicine, Politics & Administration

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Christchurch - Greyfriars Vestry

Christchurch - Greyfriars Vestry

Originally added to the church in 1760, built flush against the facade's south side and part of the church's south wall. Partially destroyed 1940, rebuilt in 1981.

Building, Religion

1 memorial
Queen Mary I

Queen Mary I

Born at Greenwich Palace. Daughter of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. When her sickly brother, the Protestant King Edward VI died in 1553, Mary was, by normal accession rules, next in line...

Person, Royalty

1 memorial
World War 2

World War 2

Sorry, we've done no research on WW2, it's just too big a subject. But do visit the picture source web site - it has a fascinating collection of maps.  And we enjoyed these photos of current WW2 ev...

Event, Armed Forces, Tragedy

378 memorials
Royal Free Hospital - Sussex wing

Royal Free Hospital - Sussex wing

WC1, Gray's Inn Road, Royal Free Hospital

The Duke of Sussex had died just 3 years before this plaque was erected. We have competing information about the architect of this wing....

3 subjects commemorated
Chelsea Flower Show

Chelsea Flower Show

Originally known as the 'Royal Horticultural Society Great Spring Show', it was first held at the RHS garden in Kensington. It moved to The Royal Hospital, Chelsea in 1905 and now takes place annua...

Event, Gardens / Agriculture

1 memorial