Smallpox led to many logistical problems at the turn of the century. Writer Francine Payne records this in her record of smallpox ships and hospitals. It's a unique insight which ANDRE ERASMUS discovered.

FOR starters, Joyce Green was not a person and definitely not a woman. And, despite the title of the book, Joyce Green and the River Hopsitals, it is not the story of a nurse.

Joyce Green is, in fact, the name of an area near Dartford, named after one Richard Joce and, as such, is not an uncommomn Kentish name, referring to the green area which Joce probably of French descent who came to England with William the Conqueror received as his reward for his services. Joce's name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Kent in 1334.

From this beginning, records Francine Payne's book, the farm land was acquired by the Metropolitan Asylums Board (MAB) from a Mr Soloman in the late 1800s for a hospital to be built.

I WONDER if any of your readers remember, or have knowledge of, a house known as The Elms which was in the Erith area in the 1930s?

I am trying to trace some of my family background and am interested in hearing from anyone who knew a Mary Ellen Buxton who lived there in 1935.

Mrs Buxton was married to George Henry Buxton who may have been involved in business in the area. Their son, george, was killed while in the RAF in 1942.

Any information would be most gratefully received.

Mr CJ NEWMAN

15 Park Lane

Bishops Stortford

Herts

CM23 3NH

SEEING your piece about wanting help on wartime aircraft supply (News Shopper August 15), I wondered if I could be any help.

I worked in some workshops in Dover Road, Northfleet, for Walter Gouge a brother of Arthur Gouge who designed the Sunderland and Stirling aircraft.

We made the tailplanes and fins for the Sunderland and undercarriage doors for the Stirling. The metal covering for the doors was done in a little workshop at the back of a shop in Windmill street, Gravesend, called Honess.

A STAPLETON

Lanes Avenue

Northfleet

IF you have any history news which you think might be of interest to our readers, write to Lucya Szachnowski at News Shopper, Mega House,Crest View Drive, Petts Wood, BR5 1BT, enclosing your contact telephone number, or email lucyas@london.newsquest.co.uk

This followed wide-spread outrage at the treatment of smallpox, then endemic in Britain, particularly given the practice that it should be treated in isolation.

In the south east, land acquired by the MAB was used as a tented camp in 1881 (now the site of the Darent Valley Hospital) for those suffering from the disease. But this proved impractical in winter and was also strongly resisted by residents in the area.

Ships were purchased by the MAB and moored off Greenwich for the disease. Land was purchased on Long Reach for housing of hospital staff and additional camps. More ships were bought and the disease continued to grow.

By 1890, hospital ships were supplemented by Gore Farm Hospital, Long Reach Hospital and, eventually, a permanent smallpox hospital at Joyce Green in December 1903 as the fight against the disease continued. It is this period of history which is covered by Mrs Payne's book which contains some interesting anecdotes.

For instance, nurses prior to the First World War lost their jobs for smoking and the gate porter whose job was to record all entering and leaving the facility was allowed eight hours off a week.

The last cases of smallpox were treated at the hopsital in the 1930s and it stood empty until used again during the Second World War. It was a polio treatment centre in the 50s and a training hospital in the 70s before becoming Darent Valley Hospital in September 2000.

l Francis Payne's book is available, at £10.50, from the Dartford Central Library, Dartford Borough Museum or, by post with cheques payable to F Payne, from the Library, Darent Valley Hospital.

August 23, 2001 9:36