Watford Hospital plaque unveiled to remember workhouse residents

Installed at Watford General Hospital, the memorial honours those who lived and died at Watford Union Workhouse, which stood on the site from 1838 to 1930.

The plaque was funded by a donation from long-standing patient Mrs J Ellis and West Herts Hospitals Charity.

Mrs Ellis' son Simon Ellis attended the ceremony alongside representatives from West Herts Hospitals Trust.

The Workhouse plaque (Image: WHTH NHS)

Toby Hyde, chief strategy officer at West Herts Hospitals Trust, said: "The memorial plaque reflects a shared commitment to remembering the people who lived and died in the Watford Union Workhouse and we are grateful for Mrs Ellis’ kind donation."

Workhouse bricks (Image: WHTH NHS)

Placed on the wall that once enclosed the male inmates’ exercise yard, the plaque also references engraved bricks in the nearby courtyard bearing the names and dates of death of some residents.

These names were matched to workhouse death and census records by the West Watford History Group. Other bricks in the courtyard feature historical graffiti, including one of a horse and a train.

Mrs Ellis, a long-standing hospital patient with a keen interest in local history, said she hopes the memorial will be of interest to Watford residents.