The Royal Halifax Infirmary

When the old Halifax Infirmary became inadequate, the president, John Whiteley Ward, looked at all hospitals in the country with a view to providing a new and up-to-date building for the town.

The new Halifax Infirmary was built by Benjamin Whitehead Jackson / Thomas Worthington of Manchester, at Free School Lane on land purchased with money raised by the sale of the old Infirmary and by donations and deeds of covenant.

10 subscribers, including, George Watkinson gave £1,000 for the building. The total cost of construction was £72,625.

On 17th June 1893, the Right Honourable William Edgcumbe, 4th Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, the Deputy Grand Master Mason of England, laid the memorial stone for the new Infirmary. The ceremony included many masonic officers and rituals.

The Infirmary was opened on 25th July 1896 by the Duke and Duchess of York – later King George V and Queen Mary – during the same visit in which they opened the Borough Market.

During his inaugural speech the Duke of York announced that Queen Victoria had given her permission for the new hospital to be named Royal – becoming the Halifax Royal Infirmary – but the Duke (possibly mistakenly) named the building the Royal Halifax Infirmary. This name remained.

The wards are named after various benefactors. Those marked ‡ were named for benefactors who had donated at least £5,000 when the Infirmary was opened.

• Appleyard Ward ‡ Mrs Williams of Moor Park, Harrogate – daughter of Joshua Appleyard – gave £5000 for the creation of the Joshua Appleyard Ward when the Infirmary opened

• Baldwin Ward ‡ John and William Baldwin – the sons of John Baldwin – gave £5000 for the creation of the Baldwin Ward when the Infirmary opened

• Crossley Ward ‡ Sir Savile Brinton Crossley gave £5000 for the creation of the Crossley Ward when the Infirmary opened

• Kitchenman Ward In December 1924, the Linford Moore Kitchenman Maternity Ward was built with money from the proceeds of a bequest by Charles Kitchenman together with donations from a number of people, including Frank Lee JP [£2,000], Sir Harold Mackintosh [£1,000], and Sir William Bulmer [£1,000]. The ward was opened by Princess Mary on 12th March 1925

• McCrea Ward ‡ Mrs Marke Wood of Liverpool – daughter of Henry Charles McCrea – gave £5000 for the creation of the McCrea Ward

• Porter Ward ‡ In 1899, Ellen and Elizabeth – daughters of Samuel Porter – gave £6,000 towards the Porter Ward

• Rawson Ward ‡ Miss Constance Ellen Rawson and other members of the Rawson family gave £5000 for the creation of the Rawson children's Ward when the Infirmary opened. The ward was named in memory of her father, William Henry Rawson

• Ann Holt Balcony In 1921, the Ann Holt Balcony an open-air children's ward opened and was financed by £5,000 left by Ann Holt

• Simpson Ward In 1933, Eliza & Jane Simpson gave money to establish the Eliza & Jane Simpson Isolation Ward. The ward was opened by the Princess Royal

• Arthur & Ada Ward In 1938, Mrs Ada Ward gave £10,000 to build the Arthur & Ada ward, in memory of her late husband Arthur. The ward opened in 1948.

  In 1948, she gave money for an ante-natal ward named Arthur Ward

• Joseph Whitaker X-Ray Ward In 1925, Joseph Whitaker gave money to establish the Joseph Whitaker X-Ray Ward in memory of his father and of his son, who had been killed in World War I. The ward opened on 29th July 1925

• Open-air wards There were 3 open-air wards, one for men, one for women and one for children. These opened on 24th October 1928

• Maternity ward In 1923, a new maternity ward designed by Walsh & Maddock was added

• Orthopaedic Department In 1925, a new orthopaedic department was equipped with funds of £859 17s 3d from The Ex-Mayors of Halifax Fund

• Watkinson Theatre In 1926, a new operating theatre designed by Walsh & Maddock was added – supported by a gift of £5,000 from Samuel Watkinson. The theatre was formally opened on 20th October 1926 by Sir Berkeley Moyniham, President of the Royal College of Surgeons

• Redman Pathology Laboratory In 1928, the Redman Pathology Laboratory opened – paid for by Ernest Shaw Redman, who had already given £10,000 towards two of the open-air wards. This opened on 24th October 1928

• Nurses' home In 1928, a new nurses' home designed by Walsh & Maddock was built

• Princess Mary Ward In 1933, a ward designed by Walsh & Maddock was built for private patients. The ward was named after the Princess Royal, who opened the ward

The Royal Halifax Infirmary closed in 2001 and services were transferred to the new Calderdale Royal Hospital.

The building has been redeveloped as apartments and is known as The Royal.

Parts of the building, the Lodge and the boundary wall are listed

See Isaac Kitson

This & associated entries use material contributed by Bill Wall

Page Ref: MMR104

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