Metropolitan Free Hospital

The Metropolitan Free Hospital was a London hospital, founded in 1836 and based for most of its existence in Kingsland Road, Hackney. It became part of the NHS in 1948, and closed in 1977, with its residual functions transferring to Barts Hospital. History Early years The hospital was founded by Jonathan Fry, a son of Elizabeth Fry, to provide medical treatment for the destitute, in 1836. Its mission was ‘to grant immediate relief to the sick poor of every nation and class whatever may be their diseases, on presenting themselves to the charity without letter of recommendation; such letters being always procured with difficulty and often after dangerous delay’. It was based initially at 29 Carey Street, near Lincoln's Inn, previously the home of the silversmith Richard Cooke. In 1843, Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge sponsored its first inpatient beds. In 1850, the hospital moved to 8 Devonshire Square, Bishopsgate, and soon after began to treat inpatients. However, in the 1870s, the Devonshire Square site was wanted by the Great Eastern Railway Company to extend their London terminus, Liverpool Street Station. The hospital sold its premises to the railway for £8,500 in 1876. It moved to 81 Commercial Street, Spitalfields and remained there until 1885 when it found a suitable site on the Kingsland Road.