Royal Samaritan Hospital for Woman

Here's a recent 'vintage' photo, taken by me, of the Royal Samaritan Hospital for Woman in Glasgow's southside.

and here is one taken in 1915, almost 100 years ago.

The building is on the corner of Victoria Street and Coplaw Street in Govanhill. The hospital was built in the mid-1890s, designed by the architects Ninian McWhannell and John Rogerson.

The design was an adaption of the 17th century Scottish Renaissance style. The hospital opened in 1896 with 30 beds.  A dispensary was added in 1897.  The building with round towers in the foreground, was the Alice Mary Corbett Memorial Nurses' Home. It was named after it's financier Mrs Cameron Corbett* (nee Polson) of Rowallan and was built in 1904 and subsequently extended.

The Royal Samaritan Hospital for Women had 30 beds in 1896 and 83 by 1907. A second new wing increased this to 156 in 1927. In 1991 the Hospital was closed but a year later it was briefly re–opened as an orthopaedic and general surgery unit managed by the Victoria Infirmary. It was redeveloped in to Flats (30 units for sale and 13 for rent) by Govanhill Housing Association in February 2001/2.

and here it is in full colour;

*Archibald Cameron Corbett was born on 23 May 1856, the son of Thomas Corbett of South Park, Cove, Argyll & Bute and Sarah, daughter of Archibald Cameron. His father was the founder of the Glasgow Central Working Men's Club & Institute, the first Working Men's Club in Scotland. He was educated at Glasgow Academy, and went into business at the age of 20, leading to his involvement in the management of his father's estate at Woodgrange, London. 

He inherited this estate on his father's death, continuing the development of workmen's clubs, cottages, allotments and gardens there. In 1887 he married Alice Mary,only child of John Polson of Castle Levan, Gourock. They had two sons, Thomas Godfrey and Arthur Cameron and one daughter, Elsie Cameron. He unsuccessfully contested the parliamentary seat of North Warwickshire in 1884 and was elected Liberal MP for the Tradeston district of Glasgow in 1885,continuing as MP until 1911. In 1901, the Corbetts bought the 6,000 acre Rowallan Estate in Ayrshire.

Archibald Cameron Corbett was well-known as a politician and a philanthropist, being a prominent benefactor of the City of Glasgow.  In recognition of his parliamentary service and his generosity to the citizens of Glasgow in gifting Rouken Glen Park and Ardgoil Estate, Argyll & Bute, for recreational use, he was granted the Freedom of the City of Glasgow on 21 January 1908. He held particularly strong views on the 'Irish Question', taking part in the campaign against Home Rule for Ireland with Lord Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Roseberry; John Bright; and Joseph Chamberlain. 

His philanthropic work included giving financial support to a number of religious and social movements, including the Foundry Boy's Society and the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). He was also very active in the work of the Temperance Movement in Scotland. He was created Baron Rowallan on 27 June 1911, and following his elevation to the House of Lords he made a hobby of showing visitors around both Houses of Parliament. His sudden death on 19 March 1933, whilst reading at his gentleman's club, Brook's Club, London, prompted numerous public expressions of condolence.