TEIGNMOUTH & SHALDON

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Muriel Hall was born on October 14th, 1890 in Southsea, Hampshire.⁵

Her mother Eleanor Anne Hall (née Balliston) was born in Alverton, Hampshire in 1850, she was the daughter of a Royal Navy Captain.²

Muriel's father was Ronald Richard MacDonald Hall (a Commander in the Royal Navy)³, he was also the son of a Royal Navy Commander and was born in Devon (1829-1929).²

In 1911, Muriel was 30 and living at home with her parents,  her father, had retired. Her sister Iris was present. They had two servants living with them, a cook and a housemaid.³

Muriel also had two bothers, Charles who was born in 1887 at Portsmouth, Hampshire and Cyril born at Portsea in Q3, 1878 (there is a large Royal Navy Base at Portsea/Portsmouth).²

VAD Card. (Full-size version further down page)

Muriel Hall was engaged with V.A.D (Voluntary Aid Detachments) as a Nurse from May 1915 to March 1919.

During that time she served at Voluntary Aid hospital/s in Teignmouth, Devon and also at Boscombe and Stourwood Auxiliary Military Hospitals in Bournemouth, Dorset.⁴

In 1939, Muriel was living at Dormer Cottage, Pennyacre Road, Teignmouth with her sister Iris. ⁵

Muriel's parents both died living at Glen Hilda in 1929⁷ and are buried in Teignmouth Old Cemetery, plot KK68.⁸

Muriel's death was registered with the local Registrar at Newton Abbot in the first quarter of 1965.⁶

Teignmouth Hospitals in WW1

At the start of the Great War the Teignmouth Hospital was located at what had been Alberta Mansions on Myrtle Hill, Dawlish Road.

The Hospital was run on a charitable basis, with the upkeep made possible by donations.

The building that was Teignmouth Hospital during WW1. (Previously called Sion House, Later known as Alberta Mansions) Photo source unknown

There was also an 'Isolation' Hospital in the grounds of Bitton House on Bitton Park Road.

In 1914 There was a mass meeting in the town hall to make arrangements for sick and wounded.

Teignmouth hospital was placed at the disposal of the Red Cross (15 beds) as well as Bitton House.

The local Suffrage Society suspended their political agenda in order to help with the war effort. Appeals were made for nurses with hospital experience, voluntary or paid; cooks, ward maids and any ladies who have a first aid certificate.

In August 1915 the Teignmouth Post mentioned that Teignmouth Hospital had a full complement of wounded soldiers who had come from the European theatre of war.

Wounded soldiers at Teignmouth Hospital. April 1915. Source unknown

The services of a masseur/masseuse were requested to treat some of the severely injured soldiers.

 House to house collections were carried out by many volunteers and people were asked to send food or any useful objects to the hospital.

Inverteign house, home of Dr & Mrs Whiteway-Wilkinsons. They opened their home to wounded officers. From the Teign Heritage collection

 Several Teignmouth residents offered up their homes as convalescent hospitals.

These included Dr & Mrs Whiteway-Wilkinson who opened up Inverteign House and set aside 8 beds to be used as a home for injured officers.

Lord and Lady Cable gave up the whole of the ground floor of Shute Hill House in Teignmouth for use as a sick bay.

Lord and Lady Cable also purchased the Treverven Estate (on Exeter Road, Teignmouth, (now part of Teignmouth Community School) and opened it as the Everest Hospital for convalescing officers (whilst the Everest Hospital was being built a hut for wounded soldiers was erected in the grounds of the original Teignmouth Hospital). Lady Cable contributed most liberally to its upkeep, their daughter, then Lady Weston Alexander, was matron of the institution.

  Everest Officer's Hospital,  part of the Treverven Estate (now part of Teignmouth Community School). From the Teign Heritage Collection

Bitton House, Teignmouth. Used by the Army in WW1. Also held a hospital. Now Teignmouth Town Council offices. (CC BY-SA 2.0) © Copyright Stephen Richards. (Modified, changed to black and white)

During WW1 the Army were in possession of Bitton House and soldiers were billeted in the town and market place.

In October 1915 the Teignmouth Urban District Council granted permission for parts of Bitton House to be used as a hospital, canteen and recreation rooms and for the Den to be used for Drill.

The Ordnance Survey, 1913 - 1914 map shows 'Isolation Hospital (Teignmouth U.D.C.)' as a long rectangular building with glass covered verandas on north of east side and south of west side of Bitton House (the Isolation Hospital was later demolished).

Boscombe Military Hospital, Shelly Road

Muriel also served as a V.A.D. Nurse at two hospitals in Bournemouth during WW1, Bocombe and Stourwood.

Shortly after the start of WW1 the Hospital Authority proposed to the War Office that they should provide 200 beds for the sick and wounded who might be sent to Bournemouth.

Royal Victoria & West Hants Hospital, Shelley Road, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset. Photo 1910.© Alwyn Ladell. (CC BY-SA 2.0)

This was approved and marquees were erected in the grounds of the Royal Victoria and West Hants Hospital, Shelly Road.

Surgeon-in-Charge: W. F. Stevenson, C.B., K.H.S, A.M.S

Stourwood Auxiliary Military Hospital

The building that was the Stourwood Auxillary Hospital in WW1. Now Loxwood House (Caldene Nursing Home), 3 Bracken Road, West Southbourne, Bournemouth, Dorset © Alwyn Ladell (CC BY-SA 2.0). Modified to Black/White

Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Cards

Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Card. ©2018 British Red Cross (CC BY-NC 2.0 UK)

Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Card. ©2018 British Red Cross (CC BY-NC 2.0 UK)