Shropshire Routes to Roots

2. The sources

If you have looked through the rest of the Medicine and health theme, you will recognise many of these sources.

Source A: Agnes Hunt's life

At the age of nine Agnes developed septicaemia, an infection to the blood, which even today has a risk of mortality. This infection spread to bone resulting in osteomyelitis, an inflammatory condition in bone.

In the early 20th century before the introduction of antibiotics, this was a chronic, longstanding, condition and introduced Agnes Hunt to what it was like to be crippled and in constant pain. To be regarded as a cripple at that time usually meant that you were confined to a life of inactivity.

[Routes to Roots website]

Source B: Life at Florence House, Baschurch

...very nice, we had porridge every morning and we all liked it. Then we had Bacon, eggs etc. ...there was one girl there, by the name of "Ida" or something similar she used to wave to us, and she was always singing, and we learnt a lot of songs from her.

[Flora Hamer's Story]

Source C: Life at Florence House, Baschurch

Patients in the Hay field [Reproduced with kind permission of "Healing and Hope" c/o Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital]

Source D: Open air wards

Open Air Wards [Reproduced with kind permission of "Healing and Hope" c/o Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital]

Source E: The work of Sister Agnes Hunt

What I did not know then was that the plaster was compressing an artery and Sister Hunt knew exactly where to find it.

...I shall never forget that night; I call this true story the angels who came in the night as indeed they were. The love, patience, and tenderness, of all these Sisters to us cripples was like the love of a Mother for her child. They were all so very kind, gentle and spoke so softly, as I said before Baschurch was not a Hospital where only operations were performed. It was a Home from Home.

[Flora Hamer's story]

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