'Conscientious and promising nurse' to 'Appeared to lack brain and interest': Comments found in the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital Nurses’ Registers (1900-1928)

Nurses’ Registers can be a useful historical source for those researching their family history or nursing training. They can also provide a fascinating insight into the lives and personalities of the people who worked there.

Nurse Training

In the early twentieth century, the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital (NNH) was one of many hospitals offering training in return for free nursing care. It ran a three year certificated course and introduced a four year course in 1904. Dora Mary Bryant was the first nurse at the NNH to join under the 4 years system (NRO reference, NNH 114/1).

Nurses’ Registers

The first national professional register was introduced in 1919 but training hospitals kept their own records. Volumes 1-3 of the NNH registers cover the period 1900 – 1928 (NRO Ref, NNH 114/1-3)

At the most basic level the NNH registers record name, age, address and training details. What elevates these records into a fascinating insight into the lives and personalities of many of the women who worked there are the comments of the two Matrons covering this period. Florence Cann was Matron from 1900 to 1926 and Edith Jackson from 1926 to 1939. An additional bonus are photos of many of those who went on to qualify.

Qualified Nurses

Helen Breton (NRO, NNH 114/1) qualified in 1908 and worked at the NNH until 1925, leaving to take up her sister’s Corner Tea House in Norwich. Cann noted that Breton and her assistants had given up their tips to the hospital for many years amounting to £20 – £30 a year.

Photo 1 H Breton (002) — Helen May Breton. Norfolk Record Office, NNH 114/1.

International Students

Evidence suggests that the NNH must have had a good reputation because it attracted trainees from all parts of the UK, from Ireland and from other parts of the world.

Alice Dowson (NRO Ref, NNH 114/1) came from New Zealand. She later worked at the Royal Naval Hospital at Haslar and the Bowden Red Cross hospital in Melton Mowbray.

Photo 2 A Dowson — Alice Maud Dowson. Norfolk Record Office, NNH 114/1.

A trainee from Denmark was less successful and we are left wondering at Cann’s comments; she was a Dane and very tall, at least 6 foot and quite unsuitable for nursing male patients.

Sisters
It was not uncommon for women from the same family to train as nurses. Following in sister’s footsteps did not always lead to the same outcome.

Dorothy and Gertrude Gort (NRO Ref, NNH 114/2) came from Walton near Woodbridge. Gertrude completed her training but Dorothy left for health reasons.

However both of the Palmer sisters were successful. They trained at the same time and both returned in 1926, a year after qualifying, as Staff Nurses on a salary of £50pa.

World War One
The first two Nurses’ Registers for the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital cover the period when nurses may have served in the war while the third includes those who had had some nursing experience, often as VADs, during the war and then decided to train subsequently.

Red Cross
Ellen Goodman and Ida Wiley were both from Salhouse (NRO Ref, NNH 114/3). They had worked at the Red Cross Auxiliary Hospital at Woodbastwick. Ellen later became the first district midwife to be attached to the hospital.

The Associate Royal Red Cross (ARRC) was awarded to those nursing the wounded. Cann herself was one such recipient as were Muriel Dagmar Coles, Beatrice Gates, Annie Gratton (NRO Ref, NNH 114/1), Mary Miller and Ellen Rosalind Ward (NRO Ref, NNH 114/2).

Queen Alexandra Imperial Nursing Service (QAIMNS)
Elizabeth Jarrett from Biggleswade became a Sister in the QAIMNS reserve. She worked at Tidworth Military Hospital then went on to Egypt and Palestine. She returned to the NNH in 1919 (NRO Ref, NNH 114/1).

Margaret Dodson (NRO Ref, NNH 114/2) from Methwold joined the QAIMNS and served in Salonika and Constantinople.

Other Army Nursing Services
Agnes Lyons (NRO Ref, NNH 114/3) from Belfast served 21 months in military hospitals before she started her training. She later became a Sister at the NNH.

Mabel Beatrice Simonds (NRO Ref, NNH 114/1) from Islington joined the Territorial Force Nursing Service (TFNS) and served in France.

Photo 5 A Lyons (002) — Agnes Lyons. Norfolk Record Office, NNH 114/3.

Roll of Honour of Norfolk Women
Most of the Norfolk women in uniformed service who died in or as a consequence of the First World War were nurses and their stories are told on the Norfolk in the First World War: Somme to Armistice project website. Four such names are linked to the registers; Jessie Wakefield, Lilian Silver Duffen, Alice Long and Beris Burton -Fanning (NRO Ref, NNH 114/1).
Jessie and Lilian trained at the NNH before the war. Beris was the daughter of Dr Burton-Fanning whose name appears as an examiner on many of the registers’ pages. Beris worked as a VAD in Cambridge and died in tragic circumstances. The Beris Burton-Fanning Memorial Fund was set up in her memory. Josephine Pegg (NRO Ref, NNH 114/3) had her midwifery training fees paid by this fund.

Alice Long was a Sister at the NNH between 1900 and 1901. The post war registers make reference to the Alice Long Memorial Medal. Maud Howard was one such recipient.