11 Randolph Crescent, Edinburgh

[garibaldired]

I have a couple of births given as at 11 Randolph Crescent, Edinburgh (not the usual residence) in the 1930s.
I know it's now the French Consulate but despite googling can't find a reference to what it was then.
Does anyone know?
Best wishes,
Meg

[Currie]

Hello Meg,

This place is about as elusive as some of our ancestors.

The only real clues I could find were in the Scotsman. It seems to have been a private home until about 1928 when the owner died. From that point on, up to 1950, the end of the archive, there are hundreds of birth notices just giving that address as the place.

One of the very early ones did say “At Nursing Home, 11 Randolph Crescent, Edinburgh” which means, I suppose, that it was a Maternity Nursing Home.

Hope that helps,
Alan

[garibaldired]

Hello Alan,

Thanks very much for that. I could only find the birth notices and obviously missed the reference to a nursing home, though I do seem to recall a death notice too.

Just tidying up loose ends!
Best wishes,
Meg

[momat]

Could be that it was a Hospital /Maternity unit as large buildings tend to occupy more than one number see this.
http://rcnarchive.rcn.org.uk/data/VOLUM ... ch1917.pdf
There is this
James Lamond Lackie, M.B., C.M., M.D., F.R.C.P.
Edin., 7, Randolph Crescent, Edinburgh .( he was certainly qualified)Obstetrics & Gynaecology !

[garibaldired]

Indeed!
Thanks, Maureen.

Best wishes,
Meg

[January_King]

I know that this thread is now quite old but I am interested as I was one of those born there! 1947
If there is anything further I'd be delighted to know. Home was around the corner in Ainslie Place.
JK

[StewL]

Hello JK

We like to think threads never get old on TS
Emails should be sent to those that have posted on this thread before you.
They are a very helpful lot here on TS so someone will get back to you.

[Currie]

Hello JK,

1940-41 Edinburgh Post Office Directory.
There are buildings on only one side of Randolph Crescent.
http://archive.org/stream/postofficeann ... 0/mode/2up

11 Butter & Munro, The Misses
11 Nursing Home; Misses Butter & Munro; Telephone 22258
12 Currie, Miss M. G. C.
12 Dean Nursing Home; Miss Currie; matron, Miss M. Sinclair; Telephones, 261911 and 21773.

Misses Butter & Munro were also there in 1928-29.

11 and 12 have the blue doors and seem to be for the same section of that long building. https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=5 ... ,,0,-16.88

I couldn’t find any info for Miss Butter, maybe something will be available for her in the Census 1901 or 1911.

All the best,
Alan

[AIMunro]

Miss Ann Ross Munro was my aunt and as a child and in my early teens I had the privilege of visiting and sleeping in one of the small bedrooms at the back of the building which overlooked a steep hill down to a river. The local residents had access to this area and to the park on the other side of Randolph Crescent.
It was reputed to be the best private hospital in Edinburgh at the time. Maternity was the main business but they also did major surgery such as abdominal cancer surgery. The clientele included famous names and my aunt introduced me to one or two of them (whose names I will not divulge). The property at that time was not joined to the adjacent houses. That may have been done by the French Embassy later.There was a very well equipped operating theatre on, from memory, the 2nd or 3rd floor. Any Caesarian sections would be done in this OT. My aunt was born at 10 Manse Street, Tain, attended Tain Royal Academy and graduated from the nursing school at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. During WWI she served in Mesopotamia. Minnie Butter came from Perth and as far as I know had followed a similar path. They were of a generation when there was a major shortage of men as a result of the carnage of WWI.
Miss Munro ran the OT (including being the scrub nurse) and the deliveries while Miss Butter administered the housekeeping, cooking and supplies. Fathers, visiting obstetricians, surgeons and other visitors were entertained in the large ground floor drawing room.
After the birth they took great care to make sure the new mother was completely confident when she took her new baby home. I understood this was a hallmark of this maternity home.
I will be happy to answer any questions. Ian, Vancouver BC.

[paddyscar]

A Warm Welcome to TalkingScot, Ian!

So pleased that you've been able to add such an informative update on 11 Randolph Crescent, Edinburgh.

Frances