I'm researching some nurses named in a wonderful photograph album belonging to Mary Muscat, a nurse in Malta. Emily Widdowson is the third nurse I researched who served in Malta and had a nursing career scanning decades. This is her story.
Cottonera Hospital
Emily was born on the 13th March 1881 in Lichfield Staffordshire. Her father Jesse was a mining engineer. Her grandfather had been a miner in Staffordshire. In 1901 when she was 20, Emily was a ladies maid in a very large house in Lichfield. However, just 4 years later she had begun training to be a nurse. She was a probationer from 1905 - 1908 at the Walsall Union Infirmary. It is surprising how many women made the transition from domestic service into nursing at this time.
After qualifying, Emily moved to the Walsall Victoria Nursing Institution where she remained for over 7 years. She had just moved to a position in the District School Inspectorate when she decided to apply to serve in the Queen Alexandra Imperial Nursing Service. She joined in June 1915. She was to remain there for two years.
Emily embarked for Malta in June 1915. Her nursing records are quite sparse - not unusual if a nurse has had a fairly settled placement. We do have a photo of her in August 1916, talking to one of the RAMC officers. She left in July 1917.
Emily talking to an RAMC Captain
Unfortunately, due to an illness picked up during her nursing,Emily embarked for England and went before a medical board in Lichfield Military Hospital. She was given two months' sick leave due to "debility from service in the tropics". Sadly she was deemed permanently unfit for service abroad and in December 1917 joined the Military Hospital in York for home duty. She remained in the QAIMNS until April 1919. The reference that she was given said she was an "average nurse" but was very kind to patients. However her "moral qualifications are very good"! Good to know!
In 1921 Emily was living with her sister Mabel (a teacher of the deaf) and her occupation is "Sick nurse: Infant Welfare : visiting the sick". In 1939 she notes her occupation as "Medical Nurse: Retired"
There is a letter in her records which states she has asked financial support. I do not know if it was granted. Such a sad ending to her service both to the country and the community for 20 years
Letter advising of Emily's application for financial assistance
I have not been able to find a definite date of death for Emily - she was still alive in 1939 so lived to be at least 60. Neither Emily, nor her sister Mabel married. Mabel also served the community as a teacher of "the deaf" for over 20 years. Two brothers did very well for themselves - one became a hotel manager and another the Director and Department Buyer of Home Furnishings. Both had servants.
Emily, her sisters and brothers had come a long way from the mining community of their grandfather. The brothers were too old to be conscripted and so took no part in the War. However, the fact that Emily had to apply for financial support after serving her country shows how hard it was for many women to remain independent after years of service. Their stories need to be acknowledged and shared.
Thank you Emily (and Mabel!) for your service to your country and community.
http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/articles/Walsall/health.htm
https://revoltsnow.wordpress.com/2015/10/19/the-workhouse/
https://www.maltaramc.com/articles/contents/greatwar.html
Ancestry.co.uk
The National Archives Nursing records https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
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