Nearly forty years of domestic peace and only limited commitments to over-seas adventures had left England at the outbreak of the Civil War deficient in virtually all things military and the provision of military hospitals was no exception. For the first 20 months of the war Parliament relied entirely upon the great civilian hospitals such as St. Bart's and Bethlehem to care for its ever-increasing number of sick and wounded soldiers.

This situation reached breaking point by the Autumn of 1644 with the return of wagon-load upon wagon-load of casualties from the debacle in Cornwall and Parliament was forced to set up a permanent state-run military hospital. The old, mediaeval Savoy Palace was converted for the purpose and it was followed four years later during the 2nd Civil War by Ely House, a former prison. The two hospitals together could handle about 350 patients at a time, accommodated in a series of wards bearing the name of a battle such as "Newbury". An exception to this rule, strangely enough, was the "King's Ward".

The sick soldiers were tended by 29 full-time nurses who were drawn preferably from widows of former soldiers. Each hospital was presided over by a Governor, appointed by the Commissioners for Wounded and Maimed Soldiers, who held the military rank of Captain.

A considerable number of bills and receipts relating to the two hospitals survive amongst the uncalendared State Papers held in the Public Record Office which shed some light on their day-to-day running.

Most common amongst the papers are great numbers of laundry bills for the washing of patients' shirts, night caps, drawers, sheets and bolsters. A common purchase was large consignments of tow used for cleaning purposes. Also surviving are receipts for narcotics and wines and spirits. Considerable sums were expended on the construction and maintenance of a "hot house" at one of the hospitals. This would appear to be a form of Turkish bath for sweating patients.

Despite the good work carried out by the Savoy and Ely hospitals at the Restoration they were closed and their remaining inmates discharged.

It would be many years before the State again accepted its responsibilities to those who became sick or were wounded in its service.

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