St Josephs Orphanage - EVEN THE DEAD WOULD BE SCARED part2

Down Theatre Street in Preston (near the Post Office) is the former St Joseph’s Orphanage or Mount Street Hospital as it became know.

It was started in 1872 (according to Hewitson’s ‘A History of Preston) as an orphanage for Roman Catholic girls after an endowment from Mrs Maria Holland who later died in 1878.

Hewistson writes in his 1883 tombe, ‘A History of Preston’:

At the southern end of Theatre-street there is a charitable institution called St. Joseph’s Orphanage. It was built and partially endowed by a local Catholic lady – the lake Mrs. Maria Holland – in 1872. The Orphanage is solely for Roman Catholic orphan girls; and they are instructed and generally looked after by nuns. Mr.R.W.Hughes, formerly of Preston, was the architect of the building. Since its opening there have been extensions, the cost of which has been defrayed by Catholics. There are, at present, about 50 orphans here.

Hewitson then goes on to describe the St Joseph’s Institute which was built onto the orphanage in 1877.

On the eastern side of, and immediately adjoining, the Orphanage, there is “St Joseph’s Institute for the Sick Poor.” This building, which has its front in Mount-street, was erected out of funds bequeathed for the purpose by Mrs. Holland – the lady who erected the Orphanage; and it was opened in 1877. It is for Roman Catholics; is maintained by voluntary contributions; and is attended; gratuitously, by local medical gentlemen. There is accommodation at this Institute for about 25 patients.

The only other article in the community archives is a clipping from the Lancashire Evening Post on 3rd September 1987 about the Hospital puzzling over what to do about a painting of Maria Holland that is in the Hospital as they don’t know who donated it. There’s a few further bits of history about the St Joseph’s complex:

Mount Street Hospital received its first operating theatre in 1910
In World War 1 it housed wounded British and Belgian soliders
A new wing was added to the Hospital in 1933
In World War 2 it was used to care for Dutch and Belgian sailors
Another new wing was opened in 1958 by Princess Marina the Duchess of Kent
The nuns who ran the orphanage were originally Dutch and called the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady Mother of Mercy



TEXT FROM HERE: https://www.blogpreston.co.uk/2009/10/st-josephs-orphanage/





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Also present on this explore were
Exploring with Fighters - https://www.youtube.com/c/ExploringwithFighters/videos
Proving Demons - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxZYELcpwp9RdliPL8gsw1w

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