Helen Campbell Norman RRC

[backman]

 I tried to add a picture of a recent acquisition to the albums but unfortunately it is too large.You can view it here;https://www.flickr.com/photos/backmanmal/15037470448/

I believe it shows an early view of Helen Norman RRC who went on to become Lady Superintendent of Nurses at Royal Victoria Military Hospital Netley.
Born in India on 27th January 1856,the daughter of Field Marshall Sir Henry Norman and Selina Eliza Norman(nee Davidson).She appears in the 1881 census as a nurse at St Mary's Hospital Paddington.Helen entered the Army Nursing Service on 20th September 1882 and served in the Anglo-Egyptian War. She returned to the UK in May 1883 and was decorated with the Royal Red Cross at Windsor,being the 15th recipient of the award. She served briefly at Woolwich before returning to Egypt in 1885.She arrived home on the Hospital Ship Ganges on 22nd Jun 1885.This cabinet card is annotated to the rear,Helen Norman August 1885 so would appear to have been taken after her return and prior her joining Netley Hospital on 7th October 1885.She went on to serve periods at Devonport and Gibraltar Station Hospital before rejoining Netley in October 1889 where she took on the post of Lady Superintendent of Female Nurses a post she would hold for several years. She died aged 57 in Tenerife in 1913.
It is unusual to find early photographic images of Nurses that are named and it is even more unusual to be able to identify such an emminent nurse so early in her career.


With acknowledgements for details to the Royal Victoria Military Hospital website and RCN archives

[myk1066]

A rather nice bit of history.  You say she died in Tenerife, is she buried there do you know?

[backman]

I'm afraid I don't Mike. The death notice appeared in the British Journal of Nursing August 9 1913 p.112 just stating that she had died in Gunnar,Teneriffe(sic) on July 31st .I can't find any trace of a place called Gunnar so it's a mystery?


Ps. Photo added below. Be signed in. Click to enlarge/reduce.