Blog: The Story of Mr Richard Whelan

The exterior of St Joseph’s Hospice (around 1906)

With the Hospice officially opening its doors to the public on 15^th January 1905, the first patient, Mr Richard Whelan was actually brought in the night before. One source says that he was carried in by his friends. Richard was cared for at the Hospice for two weeks, dying on 28^th January 1905 with his wife by his side. In this article, we’ll bring together materials from our Hospice archives as well as public records to examine what life might have been like for the very first patient cared for at St Joseph’s Hospice 120 years ago.

Phthisis and poverty

Sickness and disease was rife in Victorian and Edwardian London, with tuberculosis, smallpox, cholera and typhoid posing particular threats. Those who lived in overcrowded slums in places like Shoreditch, Whitechapel and Bethnal Green were at the greatest risk of infectious diseases. Richard’s record in the patient ledger gives us some information about his life and illness. He was admitted with phthisis, which was also called consumption, or known now as tuberculosis.

Dalston Junction, Hackney, in 1905

In the late 19^th century, thousands of Irish immigrants settled in London. Winslow and Clark’s book ‘St Joseph’s Hospice, Hackney’ writes “When epidemics…struck, the impact was generally hardest on Irish homes and families”. In response, the Catholic Church worked to offer support to these communities, which is why in 1900, Sisters Catherine, Winefred, Mary, Agnes and Mary of the Religious Sisters of Charity were invited to East London and made the long journey from Ireland to begin establishing a mission.  They were inspired by their founder Mary Aikenhead, who dedicated her life to caring for the poor and sick in deprived areas with unsafe and crowded housing, unsanitary conditions and poverty. The poor and sick were always welcomed by Mary Aikenhead and the Sisters, regardless of their faith (or none) and background. Mary’s motto was “to give to the poor for love, what the rich could buy with money”.

The beginning of the Hospice

As soon as their second week in London, the Sisters began their visits to hospitals and homes. This convinced the Sisters of “the need to establish a place for people dying of tuberculosis”, as hospitals often did not wish to admit dying patients, leaving the workhouse as the only option for many terminally ill people. The stigma of the Victorian workhouse meant that often people would choose to die at home in unsanitary conditions than go to the workhouse. In 1903, the Sisters made an offer to buy the ‘Cambridge Lodge Estate’ on Mare Street which was declined, eventually being sold to an anonymous buyer for £10,000 in late 1903. Three months later, the buyer gave the estate to the Sisters, and by January 1905, they were to admit their first patient, Mr Whelan.

Who was Richard Whelan?

Mr Whelan’s record tells us he was married, and Roman Catholic. It tells us that he was recommended to the Hospice by a Sister out on mission work – a common occurrence at the time, to spread the word of the Hospice and reach people who were very sick at home.

Record of Richard Whelan’s admission in the Male Patient Ledger (viewable in our Heritage Room at the Hospice)

A dive into publicly available records – his 1901 Census return, his Marriage Certificate and Death Certificate – tells us more.

Mr Whelan was 35 years old, and was born in Ireland, emigrating in the late 19^th century. He lived with his wife Fanny Maud Whelan (nee Byfield), at 5 Pownall Road in Haggerston, a stone’s throw from Mare Street. Richard and Dalston-born domestic servant Fanny had married at the Holy Trinity Church on Beechwood Road four years previously. There is no record of the couple having any children.

His occupation is listed as a gas-meter painter – a manual job that may well have involved lots of exposure to the airborne bacteria which spread tuberculosis.

A copy of Richard Whelan’s death certificate entry, showing his occupation, address, cause of death and who registered the death.

What can Mr Whelan’s story tell us?

It gives us a glimpse into what life was like when the Hospice first opened its doors, particularly for the working class living in densely populated areas in and around Hackney. It exemplifies why the Sisters came to London: to care for people who were sick and dying.

Most importantly, his story is powerful because he was welcomed into the Hospice before the doors were officially opened, to receive the care he needed to die in a safe place.

Over a century later, our patients continue to be at the very heart of everything we do, with our hard-working team of staff and volunteers working together to provide compassionate Hospice care to everyone in East London who needs it, completely free of charge.