Bridget O'Rourke - Infirmary diagnosis

[Gary Barnett]

On the 26th July, 1911, a 34-year-old Bridget* O'Rourke, the wife of Thomas, a wayside labourer, was admitted to the Whitechapel Infirmary. Her address was given as 3, Flower and Dean Street.

I'm unable to make any sense of the diagnosis (see below), but from other entries in the same hand I believe the first letter of the first word may be an F, the second an r and the first letter of the second word a R, so it reads like 'Froci Rebs'.

Any suggestions?


*transcribed as 'Bridger' by Ancestry.

[Robert Linford]

Fractured ribs?

[Gary Barnett]

Fractured ribs?

Bloody hell, that was quick, and now it's so obvious - Duh!

Thanks, Robert.

[Gary Barnett]

My money's on this lady being Biddy the Chiver. Her husband, Thomas, received a sentence of 6 months on 1st Feb, 1911 for assaulting a female. I can't find the details of the attack, though, or a record of when he was released.

I'm treading a very precarious path through the Arthur Harding minefield at the moment. He tells us Biddy lived in Flower and Dean Street and was knocked about by her old man. However, he goes on to claim that Biddy eventually killed him and subsequently died in Holloway, whereas I believe I've found a 1934 death for Bridget O'Rourke in Hackney.

[Debra Arif]

Gary, I don't know if you noticed but there was a Bridget Enwright b c 1876 admitted to the Whitechapel Infirmary in 1903 with a fractured pelvis. She was admitted from the London Hospital and described as homeless on discharge.

[Gary Barnett]

Gary, I don't know if you noticed but there was a Bridget Enwright b c 1876 admitted to the Whitechapel Infirmary in 1903 with a fractured pelvis. She was admitted from the London Hospital and described as homeless on discharge.

No, Debs, I hadn't - thank you for that!

I'll have a look.

[Gary Barnett]

No, Debs, I hadn't - thank you for that!

I'll have a look.

It's a pity that there's no home address. That's another record to be looked up in the London Hospital Archive.