RootsChat.Com
General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: SHOTLEY50 on Friday 19 March 10 11:53 GMT (UK)
-
Is there any way of tracing Nurses in serving in WW1? I have Minnie Johnson (1895) working in London Hospital in 1918. (This info was in the papers of her deceased brother Cecil Noble Johnson who was killed in 1918).
Minnie was born at Curragh Camp.
-
How you trace her depends very much if she was an Army nurse or a civilian nurse.
Here's some guides:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/rdleaflet.asp?sLeafletID=169
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=121&j=1
-
Go to Sue's most excellent site
www.scarletfinders.co.uk
This will tell you all you need to know and more!
-
Assuming that it refers to her working at 'The London Hospital' (Mile End Road), rather than just 'a London hospital', I can find a reference to a Minnie Christine Johnson being a probationer nurse (student nurse) at The London Hospital between 1917 and 1919. Not the only Nurse Minnie Johnson in the country, but that one fits in really well. As she was a civilian nurse at the time, there will be no military records on her, but The London Hospital has very extensive archives, and may well have more information.
http://www.bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk/aboutus/the_royal_london_hospital_archives.asp
Sue
-
Thanks Sue,
Pretty certain that you found the right Minnie. It doesn't say 'The London Hospital', Just London Hospital on the document. Will try the Archives as you suggest. The Family were living in London at the time, although Minnie wasn't with them in 1911 Census, haven't managed to find her on it so far.
Another of my family in the 1871 Census listed Elizabeth Jay Trow as a Medical Student, thought it rather unusual for those days for a Woman. Think it was quite an achievement as she was born in the Work House. Do you think I could traceher at all?
Thanks for help,
Bob.
-
How you trace her depends very much if she was an Army nurse or a civilian nurse.
Here's some guides:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/rdleaflet.asp?sLeafletID=169
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=121&j=1
Many thanks Neil, I think Sue has found her for me.
Regards,
Bob.
-
Go to Sue's most excellent site
www.scarletfinders.co.uk
This will tell you all you need to know and more!
Many thanks for that. Sue also sent me a reply, pretty sure have traced her.
-
Bob
The information about Minnie Johnson was taken from a copy of the Register of the General Nursing Council for England and Wales. Although they're not easily available, I happen to have one here for 1928 when her permanent home address was 'Stella Maris, Hall Lane, Walton-on-Naze, Essex.' The only other copy I have is for 1942, in which she doesn't have an entry, so either married or not working as a nurse by that time.
The London Hospital is probably one of the most interesting to research as they have one of the best archives in the country. I see you don't live in the UK, but here we have had a fairly long running TV series called (variously) 'Casualty 1901', 'Casualty 1907', and the latest 'Casualty 1909.' This series could I suppose be called 'faction' and follows the life of the hospital over the first decade of the twentieth century. Because it's based on the extensive hospital archives, it is, for a drama-documentary, extremely faithful to history, despite the nurses all being unusually beautiful, devoted, and with the highest integrity! The matron at the time Minnie started there was Eva Luckes, one of the most well-known and charismatic of all hospital matrons. She died in February 1919, still holding her position, and it must have been a momentous time for the hospital. A web search for her will lead on to more about the hospital at that time.
The London Hospital did a lot of things differently from others. It had a committment to the working people, and would not admit any patients who could afford to pay to go elsewhere, although they did send their nurses out after two years training to care for the rich in their own homes - that's how they made quite a lot of money to run the hospital. Many other hospitals opposed the way The London was run, and during the twenties and thirties it had no option but to fall in to line over the way it trained its nurses.
Unfortunately I'm a real one-trick pony, and as far as Elizabeth Trow goes, I'm not sure how you find her. Ancestry has British medical directories online from 1859, but I can't see an entry for her in the years following on from 1871 in that name, so perhaps she never qualified as a doctor. I guess that usual family history methods of census/BMD etc., might find her later. Maybe the occupation board here might have more ideas.
Regards --- Sue
-
Many thanks for all your help Sue. Gradually getting a picture of her. A brother lived in that part of Essex at that time.
Haven't heard of that programme, sounds interesting. We have got a BBC Channel here, with luck they may show it at some time.
Regards,
Bob.
-
I'm new to this site so hoping this message goes to bob who was researching Minnie Christine Johnson, sister of Noble Cecil.
They were my partner's aunt and uncle, and we are trying to trace many in the family. I was actually arching the address in Halls Lane, Walton on Naze when I came across your post.
Do you know if Christine went to South Africa? Or have any information about another brother George?
Regards
Julie
-
Hi Julie,
I can help you. Have details of most of the family. Please email me on MOD COMMENT EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED
Regards,
Bob.
-
I am new to Rootschat so am struggling a little to know where to post things. I have found the information here very interesting and was wondering if anyone could help me with my search. I have an Isabella Rennie (My Grandfather's first wife) who at the time of her marriage in 1917, states she was a Staff Nurse at Mile End Military Hospital, Bancroft Road. I should love to find information about her training and where she was living at this time, as the marriage certificate gives her residence as the hospital.
-
It's never possible to be certain whether nurses were with the military nursing services or working as civilians within military hospitals. However, there is a service file at The National Archives for an 'Isabel Rennie' a member of Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve which could be relevant. It can be downloaded for a fee (£3.36). I think that has to be the first move, though possible it could be a different woman.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/army-nurses-service-records.htm
Sue
-
I am new to Rootschat so am struggling a little to know where to post things. I have found the information here very interesting and was wondering if anyone could help me with my search. I have an Isabella Rennie (My Grandfather's first wife) who at the time of her marriage in 1917, states she was a Staff Nurse at Mile End Military Hospital, Bancroft Road. I should love to find information about her training and where she was living at this time, as the marriage certificate gives her residence as the hospital.
Duplicate post on BEGINNERS board-
www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=659772.msg5054111#msg5054111