A Bit about Bloxwich Hospital

by Stuart Williams

Bloxwich Hospital, 2007 (Picture: Stuart Williams)

There’s little written about Bloxwich Hospital,  which was built as a private house about 1850.

It was at one time known as ‘The Manor House’ though there was no manor of Bloxwich by the time it would have been built.  This was probably just a conceit of the owners.

In the late Victorian/Edwardian eras the house was owned by the Foster family who seem to be connected with the family of the same name at Bloxwich Hall.  The “Misses Foster” were resident at The Manor House in 1916.

The monumental inscriptions for All Saints Church list the following monuments inside the church:

ANN  SMITH  FOSTER of The Manor House, Bloxwich widow of JOHN STOKES FOSTER born 7 November 1813  died  13 May 1902.  Window dedicated by children 1905.

JOHN  SMITH  FOSTER  & MARY  his wife of Bloxwich Hall, Also their sons JOHN  STOKES  FOSTER  of Bentley House, and THOMAS FOSTER of Alveston Leys near Stratford on Avon.  Window dedicated by relations All Saints Day 1895.

There are no Fosters listed at the Manor House in Kelly’s Directory for 1924 so possibly the “Misses Foster” had left or died by then.

The house was purchased by Walsall Corporation (the town council) in 1927.  It was opened as a Maternity Hospital on 20th July, 1929 and has been a hospital ever since, latterly under the auspices of the National Health Service.

Today, Bloxwich Hospital offers mental health services for older people.

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