1858年聖誕節，啱啱喺印度結婚嘅英國人Granville Sharp和Matilda Lincolne夫婦抵港，前者後來成為商人，後者注重社福發展，後來成為慈善家。1893年，Matilda壽終內寢，Granville為咗紀念亡妻，決定興建醫院，但呢個計劃要等到六年之後Granville死埋之後，先正式實現，而Matilda亦係全港第一個人接受火葬，而今同丈夫嘅骨灰同葬喺跑馬地天主教墳場。Granville嘅遺囑，列明以亡妻之名成立醫院服務病人，而醫院亦要免費醫治病患者，明德醫院（Matilda Hospital）因此成立。醫院喺1907年1月27號正式啟用，收容第一批病人。
On Christmas Day 1858, Granville Sharp and Matilda Lincolne, United Kingdom men who had just married in India, arrived in Hong Kong, the former became a businessman, the latter focused on social welfare and later became a philanthropist. In 1893, Matilda died and Granville decided to build a hospital in memory of his deceased wife, but this plan was not officially realized until six years later, after Granville's death, and Matilda was perhaps the first person in Hong Kong to be cremated, and now buried with her husband's ashes in Happy Valley Catholic Cemetery. Granville's will stated that a hospital would be established in the name of his deceased wife to serve the sick and that the hospital would treat the sick free of charge, and Matilda Hospital was established. The hospital was officially opened on January 27, 1907, to accommodate the first patients.