Genealogy Chat

am I right in thinking if a Soldier got someone pregnant she would not have been allowed to have her baby in an army hospital which I believe Louise Margarets in Aldershot was???

What time span, Valerie? Jay

1923 and maybe a bit later as this lady was not married to a Soldier but he let her put his name down as the father so I wonder why she had her in this hospital. He is down as a Sergeant on the birth cert

Might she have been living with him as his wife, or did he already one? jay

yes we believe they were living together but I have heard that you had to get permission to marry from your senior officer if you were a soldier and , was surprised that she was in there for the birth as I would have thought they would have wanted confirmation they were married maybe I just am thinking too hard as usual thanks for your replies.

Any other children? Might they have taken up with each other by 1918/19? I'm not sure when the ruling came in that other ranks had to have permission to marry - don't think it applied in war time. jay

I dont think they were together any earlier but maybe we were misinformed thanks will have another look for a marriage somewhere I think. thanks again you must be one of the very few still up !!!!!

I am not sure how long a ago the practice started, but forces hospitals do treat non forces personel. My brother was born in an RAF hospital, and there was no connection to the RAF. (early 60's) Jess

The baby's mother may have been a daughter of Army chap but the baby was obviously acknowledged by it's father so that initself would probably be enough to allow a birth there, although as Jess said, hospitals served local communities too. Did the parents have the same address on the birth certificate? I think the Army would have wanted proof of marriage if they were living in Army Quarters. Gwyn

My daughter didnt get married quarters until she married her hubby. this was in the 1970,s .I wouldn't have thought it would have been any different earlier than that .Perhaps tho she was living on camp anyway cos her father was in the Army. Shirley

thanks for all your replies it doesnt say where she was living just he is a Sergeant at a Barracks

So the baby's mother was not the informant ??

Not much help i'm afraid, but just had to say the Louise Margaret was a wonderful hospital. I had my 3 children there in '87, '88 and '92. Myself and my husband are civilians. Although it was a military hospital civvies used it too. It closed in 1996, along with the main hospital which was called The Cambridge Hospital. It such a shame, such a wonderful building being left empty. On a commanding position at the top of the highest hill in Aldershot. One of the best things of going in there was the food. All cooked on the premises by the Army Catering Corps. Sandra

Too maybe you should change your name ??? to Too flipping cold !!!! Gwyneth the informant was the Matron which I thought was funny. Sandra did you really you dont happen to have a photo of the place do you ???

There is a picture of the Cambridge hospital here. ...Remove * http://www.picturesofengland.*com/England/Hampshire/Aldershot/pictures/thumbnails

No sorry I don't. I can't offer to take one for you either, because there is a huge 8ft fence around the perimeter of the grounds, which is a right pain, as I can see the clock tower on the top of the old Cambridge Hospital from the top of my road. You just can't get to it. They have an outpatients clinic at the side of the Cambridge Hosp, but you arn't allowed past a certain point, and the Louise Margaret is right over the far side. Local people call it The Lewy. The nearest I can get to a photo is that I still have the hand book they gave me at my first ante-natal, if you want, I can scan that and send to you? Sandra

Gwyneth thanks for that but I still cannot find it dont know what I am doing wrong , and Sandra thats very nice of you if I dont have any luck finding one will get back to you thanks again.

Copy and paste the address in my other reply... into web address box. Remove the * You should get a block of small photos. The 6th one down on far left column is the hospital. Click to see bigger image. Gwyn