British Home [for Incurables]

The records cover all aspects of the work of the home: governance, finance, property and the care given to its patients.

The British Home for Incurables was established in 1861 and opened in Clapham in 1863. It moved from Clapham when its 30 year lease expired; the charity was unable to buy the freehold. It moved to purpose-built premises in Streatham in 1894. It was set up 'for the relief of incurable cases of disease, accident or deformity'. It received its Royal Charter in 1899. As well as giving care to residents, there were out-patients who received a (financial) allowance, to assist with their circumstances.

The Streatham site was extended to the south in 1899-1900; to the west (the Queen Alexandra Wing) in 1912-1913; to the west by the purchase of two large neighbouring detached houses, which were demolished to become the first nurses' home in 1947. This wing was added to in 1995 and was by then occupied by patients.

The Home has received funding from bequests, endowments, donations and monies raised by events and residents' subscriptions. It is independent of the state health system. It has also always enjoyed royal patronage and associations.

In World War I it was used for the treatment of wounded soldiers.

The catalogue is structured as follows:

Governance

1/1 Governors and other meetings

1/2 Annual reports

1/3 Year books

1/4 Other records

Finance

2/1 Minutes of finance committee

2/2 Financial administration

2/3 Donors and subscribers year books

Staff and administration

3/1 House committee minutes

3/2 Chaplain's books

3/3 Staff

Residents, pensioners and their care

4/1 Residents and patients

4/2 Pensioners and annuitants

4/3 Medical Officers reports

4/4 Other records

5. Property

6. Photographs, scrapbooks, publications and memorabilia

Some records, including those for patients contain sensitive personal information relating to living individuals. Data protection legislation means this can only be consulted by the person to whom it applies, or an authorised proxy via a subject access request .

The records are placed on deposit and are accession 2007/11 and 2008/12

A hard copy of the catalogue is available at Lambeth Archives.

Requests for reproduction for public display or in a commercial context must be made to the Home.