As part of a project I'm doing for our Settlers Museum, I've come across this institution. I've googled it but got only very verbose reports about London medical systems around about 1900, none of which define it in any way.

Can anybody enlighten me? Or point me in a direction to search.

http://www.genforum.genealogy.com/uk/me ... 18434.html

Scroll down this page there is something
http://www.casebook.org/press_reports/star/s881123.html

this is all I can find, it seems the modern day Islington Guardians are a about parking restriction.

Good luck, sounds interesting.

Thanks Widget. I struck the 'parking guardians' too!
Seems that it was a workhouse. I wonder if that would still have been the case in 1891? I've got a census record showing 'inmates' recorded as retired. I've emailed the London museum organisation but I haven't had a reply yet.

It looks as if you might be able to get info at http://www.a2a.org.uk/about/contributors/074-list.asp

They have access to archives in London Metropolitan Archives: City of London including
Islington Guardians scope - 1867-1930: records incl minutes, papers rel to relief, lunatics, workhouses, schools, children's records.

Found this............In 1732 four apothecaries, one a woman, were to treat the poor for one year each, and from 1735-an agreement was made annually with an apothe-cary to treat the poor and attend the workhouse. (fn. 69) A house in the possession of Dr. Robert Poole from 1740 served as a smallpox hospital, which the parish tried to get removed in 1748, although it was still there in 1749. (fn. 70) The vestry arranged in 1772 that the smallpox hospital in Clerkenwell should admit their cases for 5 gn. a year. (fn. 71) The hospital moved to Battle Bridge in St. Pancras in 1793 and to a site between Dartmouth Park Hill and Highgate Hill in 1850. (fn. 72) In 1867 the hospital had about 100 beds and was supported mainly by voluntary contributions, being intended for paying patients but taking paupers if beds were available.

Until the Metropolitan Asylums Board made provision from c. 1869 it was one of only two isolation hospitals in London, the other being the London Fever hospital in Liverpool Road. (fn. 73) Although the smallpox hospital was apparently not taken over directly by the board, (fn. 74) it was the board which sold it with its 9-a. site to the Islington guardians in 1896 as a new workhouse infirmary. (fn. 75) By 1920 five linked blocks had been added south of the original hospital. (fn. 76) By 1944 it had been taken over by the L.C.C. and formed the St. Mary, Islington, hospital in the Archway group, with 836 beds and more modern premises than the other two hospitals in the group.

here...http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=2532

Thats interesting Oddquine, sure Michael will be thrilled with that,
isn't it surprising what you can find out on the internet.

Marvellous! I'm off to poke further! Thanks.