The Cambridge Breast Unit was opened by Cherie Booth QC on 10th October 2000. Prior to the opening of the unit patients were seen in Clinic 4 and were sent away with an appointment to return up to two weeks later for a mammogram. The purpose built unit was funded by charitable donations of £756,000 …
Fire on Victoria Ward
At 1.45pm on 1 Oct 1902 a fire broke out in the roof over Victoria Ward. Marion Still, a maid in the ward, had discovered the fire. She told a nurse and Mr Farrow, the Under-Porter, climbed the ladder to the trap-door with a hose whilst the fire brigade was sent for. The fire was …
The Clinical School
The Clinical School was officially opened on 21 November 1980 by the Duke of Edinburgh; however it took many years to get to this point. In 1948 with the founding of the NHS, Addenbrooke’s and the other hospitals that formed the United Cambridge Hospitals became teaching hospitals and the opportunity for graduate medical education began. …
Alexander Scott Abbott
This is another of the portraits we have stored in the Hospital Archives - Alexander Scott Abbott, who was Surgeon at Addenbrooke’s from 1817–1843. Abbott was born in about 1790 the second son of William a surgeon in Needham Market, Suffolk. He was most properly apprenticed to his father before going to St Bartholomew’s Hospital, …
September 1766 Board meetings
The Weekly Board meeting held on 15 September 1766, Mr Lefebvre, the apothecary was ordered to go London to ‘buy goods specified in the inventory settled by the Committee at second hand’. The Matron Mrs Perry was ordered to look out for a four maid servant’s two for nurses and the others for the kitchen, …
Weekly Board Meeting 8 Sep 1766
This week here is another extract from the first minute book of Addenbrooke’s in the few months before the hospital opened. The Matron had been ordered to make a list of ‘things’ needed for the Infirmary and now had to inform ‘several braziers in the Town of what goods would be wanted and ask them …
The Oldest Document
The oldest documents we have in the archives are two letters written by John Addenbrooke, but the oldest document we have relating to the hospital is a minute book of the Trustees of Addenbrooke's Hospital started in 1759. It also contains the accounts relating to Dr Addenbrooke's estate, 1740-65. The Trustees of John Addenbrooke’s will …
Nursing Training
Nursing training at Addenbrooke’s began with the appointment of Alice Fisher as Matron in 1877. A few months later probationer nurses arrived at the hospital and the Board of the Hospital produced a list of regulations for them. They woke up at 6am, had breakfast and said prayers at 6.30 and had to be on …
Appointment of the first Matron
General meeting 18 Aug 1766 The most important item at this meeting was that Mrs Ann Perry was elected Matron with an annual salary of £10. Nothing in know of Mrs Perry, it is probable that she was a housekeeper or other senior servant in a large household; certainly housekeeping, catering and the management of …
