Shortly after the outbreak of war in August 1914, local paper manufacturer, Oswald Wrigley offered his late father’s residence, Timberhurst, to the authorities for use as a military hospital. This grand mansion, situated at Heap Bridge, Bury was soon adapted, being equipped with 24 beds occupying 4 wards. The initial staff consisted of a matron and two nurses from the Red Cross Society, assisted by volunteers from the St John Ambulance Brigade and Nursing Division who had recently gained experience at Bury Infirmary.
Generous donations were received from local businesses and other members of the community to make the hospital as comfortable as possible for the many wounded men who came through its doors. The initial four wards were all situated at the front of the building, enabling patients to benefit from the best views of the garden. A Recreation Room was created on the ground floor described in the Bury Guardian as, “luxuriantly equipped with easy chairs, tables, note-paper, pens, ink and pencils, and table games of various descriptions. Some literature has also been provided, so that there is much here to enjoin the men to forget their cares for a while”.
The note-paper, pens and pencils were not always used to write home to loved ones as we can see from this handmade Timberhurst Gazette: a collection of humorous sketches and musings on life inside the hospital with lots of playful (and sometimes intriguing) references to the nursing staff. “What do those neat attaché cases, the nurses carry, contain?” We’d really love to know!!
In November 1914, a piano was loaned to the hospital from James Whittaker, proprietor of the music shop on Silver Street. Once the piano was installed at Timberhurst, concerts and plays became a regular feature enjoyed by both staff and convalescents. So successful these weekly concerts became that many other soldiers from neighbouring hospitals received invitations. Reviews published each week in the local press describe unforgettable evenings of music, laughter, and song. For the wounded men, this would have been a far cry from what they had endured on the battlefields of France.
Summer parties
During the warmer months day trips were arranged, often to scenic locations. One such day was in August of 1915: forty soldiers from Timberhurst were taken to Pickmere Lake in Cheshire where, “rowing was indulged in by all who were able”, while the less able patients spent their afternoon in gardens, “returning with huge bunches of flowers and baskets of plums and pears” (Bury Guardian, 28 August 1915).
The grounds at Timberhurst, with their beautiful gardens, were a perfect location for garden parties. On these lovely sunny days the soldiers would enjoy ‘domino drives’ on the lawn. In summertime too, the Hospital Committee held ‘open days’ for public inspection where on occasion Besses o’ th’ Barn Band would play. These special days were a regular feature and important for ensuring continued support from the community who, “showed a ready disposition to support so valuable a home for wounded soldiers” (Bury Guardian 10 Jun 1916).
Christmas at Timberhurst
The spirit of this season was in dazzle-mode at Timberhurst! A real demonstration of community compassion was underway – gifts and donations were sent in from the folk of Bury who saw that the soldiers under care at the hospital did not go short: sweets, cake, jars of jam, pound after pound of choice tobacco, pipes and cigarette cases. A Christmas ‘parcel’ was given to each patient on 25th December. Christmas dinner was the traditional celebratory feast of turkey, goose and plum pudding.
These small acts of kindness were recognised by one esteemed visitor to the hospital during the festivities in December 1915 – writing to the editor of the Bury Guardian he remarked that “Timberhurst, [was] a place where the sick and wounded have been tended and cared for, and where everything that possibly can be done to alleviate the suffering of our heroes has been done”.
He admired the halls which were “magnificently decorated”; in the wards hung paper streamers in colours of red, white and blue. Chrysanthemums and evergreens “beautifully adorn” each room, “I shall never forget the scene or the impression it made on me”.
Our visitor (whose entertaining letter to the Bury Guardian is simply signed JB) then joined the audience to be entertained with a play, “The Emancipated Ladies’ Club”, in which members of staff took part.
During the interval JB was taken on a stroll to see the rest of the hospital; what a shock he had on entering one ward to be met with “a number of ladies dressing”, after heading swiftly to the door to avoid further embarrassment, his guide reassured him that these were soldiers getting ready for their part in the next part of the programme, another play entitled “An Unexpected Entertainment”.
Through the continuing support of all who were connected to the hospital and the wider community the number of beds increased from 24 to 137 by the end of 1918. Thanks to the joint efforts of The Red Cross Society and St John Ambulance Brigade, Timberhurst carried on its work as a Military Hospital until April 1919. By that time it had provided sanctuary to more than a thousand wounded soldiers.
Bury Archives & Local History 
Great Wendy – Thank you! Have a great Christmas. Steve x
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