The White House

I am writing to ask if anybody has any information or even stories about the White House Children’s Hospital.

My boyfriend came across it about 10 years ago while out with his friends, the doors were open so they went in.

There was a classroom at the top of the tower with loads of little desks, and there were dungeons with about 30 tiny beds with chains attached to them which looked like they had been broken. He said there was a staircase and when they walked up about 15 stairs the rest of the stair case was totally boarded up with wood and huge nails. He said it was like the place had just been abandoned but we can’t find any information about it on the internet.

For some reason my friend was drawn to the house. He used to drive up to it just so he could sit outside and look at it but he couldn’t understand why until he went to see a medium who said “You mustn’t go there!' She told him that a little girl had attached herself to him and if he kept going she would depress him.

After that he used to dream that he was being pulled towards the doors of the house as they opened for him. He also used to dream that he was trapped in the courtyard that is at the back if the house. Some nights he used to dream that he saw the little girl at the end of the bed.

Since i moved in with him he has stopped having these dreams and one day we drove to the house because I had never seen it, and he took 2 pictures through the front gates and there was nothing and nobody there, apart from a silver jeep, but when we have looked at the photos there is a black figure next to the jeep, and in the next one - it is on the lawn. to my horror when I zoomed in on this photo it appeared to be a girl in a wheelchair with a baby or a doll on her knee, and it looks like she is looking straight at my boyfriend.

One of our friends grew up in a children’s home and when we mentioned The White House to him he refused to talk about it and we want to get some information or even old stories about what went on there because for some reason nobody will talk about it.

I have passed your letter to our local Historical Society and I expect if they know any different from what I have written they will be in touch with you. Some year ago the house was divided into lovely and very expensive flats and to my knowledge nobody has since run screaming from the building!

And the next letter from Ashleigh:

Thank you for your quick reply.

It clearly states on the gates of The White House 'The White House, Childrens Hospital 1938 - 1983' .

There seems to be chunk of history missing on this building. I have found that it was built in 1903 and used as a summer house then it was turned into a children's hospital until 1983 and then renovated into flats in 1999. If I type the address into the search engine on Google it is listed in a web page called 'Lunatic and Mental Asylum Listings' .

I don't find your reply disappointing, in fact I find it a relief. . I just thought 'Our Milford' would know a little more than I do.

Kind Regards

Ashleigh

Alas! 'Our Milford' is not omniscient but maybe one of our visitors will be able to help you. Email the Webmaster or write direct to Ashleigh: Ashleigh02101986@aol.com

1. First piece of additional information from a visitor to the site:

WORLD WAR II
As war became imminent in 1939, arrangements were made for the wholesale evacuation of children from towns. This started on September 1st, just before war was declared. Due to its position on the coast, few came to Milford, which was a restricted zone. Many children from Southampton went to New Milton where the new Ashley Senior school was ideally placed to accommodate them. By Christmas, three-quarters of these had returned to their homes but the severe bombing of Southampton, from June 1940, provoked a return to New Milton. Ironically, New Milton suffered more bomb damage than Milford with the centre receiving several hits and numerous casualties. As in the First World War, many houses in the area were requisitioned for military us, particularly in the cliff area.(74)

As well as the evacuees, refugees from the bombing, came to the area. Some of these were billeted with families throughout the area. The Meadow Cottage convalescent home was started in 1911 for poor London children, mostly suffering from TB and in 1925 moved to a new building in Sea Road. It was used as a hostel for evacuee boys from London from about 1940.(75)

The school logbooks show that (as in WWI) school meals were introduced in 1941 and an allotment started for growing potatoes. Twenty five evacuees came in July 1941 so that, with the 51 existing pupils, the school became overcrowded. Notwithstanding this, it was scheduled as an emergency rest centre for evacuees although not used as such until 1944. By the End of that year, with the assistance of the Women’s Voluntary Service, over 70 000 school dinners had been served.

POSTWAR
JE Vibert MA ran South Lea boarding school in Victoria Rd, around 1966-70, catering for eight boys aged 7 to 13 (i.e. up to Common Entrance). Later it became a mixed school, but closed as such small premises could not provide the facilities needed.(76)

A number of convalescent homes were in existence, mainly for TB sufferers. One of these was the White House hospital, which was used for child patients from 1951. From 1963, it became a school for those with special needs. In 1989, the main building was sold off after a purpose built school, Ravenshurst, was constructed in its grounds. (77)

The Lymington Directory for 1955 notes the following additional private schools in Milford ;

Sea Pines Hordle cliff

Briantcroft Barnes Lane; coaching establishment

Whilst four years later only Hordle point (sic) school of the Rev Whateley-Smith is listed.(78)

The above extract has been taken from an essay written by Jeremy Greenwood, entitled:

'THE MILFORD AREA 1660-1948

JEREMY GREENWOOD

Foreword
'This is a study of the available educational facilities of the Milford, Hampshire region. It is not proposed to try to describe what education actually comprised, as there is simply not enough information available for all the various types of school. Church and State supported schools have left vastly more records than the others, which distorts the picture and this is not intended to be yet another story of a National school.(1)
''What actually happened in schools of this period in southwest England has been dealt with elsewhere,(2) for example at Fawley and Lymington.

The present parish of Milford has very different boundaries from its medieval predecessor. It has lost the tithing of Pennington on the east but gained part of Hordle (including Hurst spit) to the west. The northern fringe has been transferred to Hordle.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

'I should like to thank Roy Rees for providing the impetus for this study and who has assiduously provided me with information and fielded my questions.

Jeremy Greenwood has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.'

[ Click here ] for details

2. Another email has arrived, giving more information which is set out below. This has been taken from 'Hand-picked Hotels' History of the Rhinefield Hotel.

'In 1877, many of the Crown Lands were “privatised”. Grace and Favour appointments lapsed and vacant lodges were leased to private individuals. Rhinefield passed to the hands of the Walker family, who owned

Eastwood Colliery, immortalised in the novels of D.H. Lawrence. In 1885 the only daughter of the family became engaged to a Lieutenant Munro RN, and her father’s engagement present was £250,000 with which to build a family home at Rhinefield. After their marriage in 1887 the couple adopted the name Walker-Munro and supervised the construction of an impressive country seat comprising the Great House, a Hunting Lodge, Stables, Gardener’s Bothy and a Gate Lodge. (There was even enough change left over to build a modest “beach-hut” which is best known today as the White House at Milford on Sea)'

21st October: Letter received from South Africa

In 1972-3 I lived in Milford, and for a while worked as a volunteer teaching assistant/nursing aide at the White House, and had many photos of the children who lived there.

Some were ineducable, Down's Syndrome, Microcephalic, Hydrocephalic, etc., others were given basic reading and writing skills, had fun 'dressing up' and presenting plays. Most had been put into care by their families, one or two had been abandoned. Most were kept medicated on drugs such as Ritalin, one or two had heart problems. We had a full-time Nursing Officer, Mr Polehill, during the day, and a woman who did the night shifts. Several other volunteers helped in various ways.

Some of the children's stories were heartbreaking: one boy was born to a severely retarded mother, and kept locked away by the grandmother, who feared he was retarded. When discovered by Social workers, he was found to be deaf, and he was certainly our brightest lad, but a problem in that the security measures that sufficed to keep the others safe in dormitory areas were just a challenge to him, and one day we found him down on the beach!

Another sad memory is of a boy who suffered from severe cerebral palsy; he was completely "twisted" physically, and could not eat, walk or speak. One day I read a story to him, and when I finished, a hand went out and held my dress - he did not want me to leave him. Mentally, he was fine, but trapped in this terrible body. He was a twin, and apparently his sister was fine, and lived at home, but I never did see them visit him.

It was still a hospital (or 'Home'?) when I left in 1973.

Dr Elaine Lee

Johannesburg

melee@global.co.za

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