PRINCE Charles? visit to Okehampton brought back memories for a woman who was born on the Castle Hospital site when it was formerly used as the town?s workhouse. Joan Stoneman?s mother died soon after giving birth on February 2, 1939 and she was brought up by her grandparents. The 65-year-old, who has lived in Tavistock for many years, heard Okehampton was having a royal visit and was told Prince Charles could visit the site. ?When they said Prince Charles was visiting the war memorial and Castle Hospital, which was the old workhouse, I was so moved,? she said. ?My home town means a lot to me and I would love Prince Charles to know that I was the baby who was born in the workhouse. My mother went in there to have me and she never came out again.? In fact, the hospital was not included in the royal tour but Mrs Stoneman was reassured by town mayor Tony Leech that she would be kept informed of plans for development of the site . ?The building is still the old workhouse building. The town mayor said that if it?s got to come down he wants me to be by his side.? Okehampton Workhouse was built in 1837 and the majority of those forced to live there were the old, the infirm, the orphaned, unmarried mothers and the physically or mentally ill. Entering its harsh regime and conditions was considered the ultimate degradation. The site later became the Castle Hospital and was used for geriatric care. ?I know what they call people who went in there but I?m not ashamed of that. I never had the love of a mother and a father but I had some lovely people looking after me when I was growing up.? Mrs Stoneman took her mother?s name, Lillian Joan Hearn, but did not know the truth about her death until much later when she started work. ?A girl that I worked with told me that I was born in the workhouse and my mother had died straight afterwards. She said that her mother had been the first person to hold me.? There are hopes of turning the site into a housing scheme for the elderly. If successful, it will be the first of its kind in Devon. l Royal visit ? see pages 20 & 37.
