Photographed
sometime during the First World War when Beach Road council
schools were taken over by the Medical Department of the War
Office and used as a military hospital 1917-1920. The
hospital was known as 'The Seaforth Hospital' under the matronage
of Lady Commandant, Miss ? Taylor, Q.A.M.I.N.S. (Queen
Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service). The
hospital had accommodation for up to 210 sick/wounded soldiers.
The children from the Boy's Junior and Girl's Junior School departments
were moved to the Wesleyan Sunday School building and St Philip's
Church Hall on Linacre Road; returning in 1920 when the school
was taken back under control of the education authority.
The people of Litherland responded
well to an appeal by the vicar of St Philip's,
Rev. Lander for money, comforts and various items for
the soldiers and hospital. Support for the
hospital from the people of Litherland
continued throughout the war and up until its closure.
Items called for in Rev. Lander's appeal: Knitted
helmets, knitted dish-clothes, strong garden seats,
books/magazines (not old ones), daily papers (not more
than a day old), egg cups (in enamel or wood), small
bags (for patients use), face clothes.
The 'Litherland Sewing Party' also made
from 'oil baize' small table clothes for every bedside locker in
the hospital, totalling over 200. The 'Sewing Party' worked
tirelessly throughout the war for the 'District Centre' for the distribution
of comforts and gifts for wounded soldiers and sailors. The centre
being run by Liverpool's lady mayoress initially from Liverpool Town
Hall and then from the Lady Mayoress Bureau at Gambier Terrace. |
Letters of thanks received
by Mrs Wilkinson of Litherland at the beginning of the
war from the 'Lady Mayoress Bureau': |
The Town Hall
Liverpool W.
l
10th Sepember 1914
|
Lady Mayoress Bureau
1 Gambier Terrace
Liverpool
October 1914
|
Dear Madam,
Will you please thank the members of the Litherland Sewing
Party very warmly from me for all the things they have
sent us. I appreciate very much the work they have done.
Yours faithfully,
Winifred Rathbone.
|
The Lady
Mayoress sends her warmest thanks to Mrs Wilkinson and
the Ladies of the Litherland Sewing Party for their most
kind gifts of mufflers, belts, pyjamas, socks, mittens,
etc., and cannot express how grateful she is for all their
kind help, and much appreciates their gifts to her Bureau. |
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