I am getting nowhere fast with this one. I am trying to research a "nursing sister" who served in the First Balkan War. She was called Blanche Louisa Percy Davis (nee King), born 1846, died 1918. Her Serbian Cross of Mercy has come to me to sell but I cannot find any trace of her ever being a nurse. Were they unregistered at this period?
Many thanks in advance. Alastair
The very simple answer is No,the long struggle for Nurse registration only resulted in the Nurses Act of 1919 and the first national registers of England & Wales,Scotland and Northern Ireland start in 1922,so post dating your ladies death. There were some earlier professional registers from the Royal British Nurses Association and Sir Henry Burdett but only a relatively small number of nurses are recorded in these.They are available through Ancestry.com but a quick hunt fails to flag up your lady.She might appear in surviving hospital registers if you have any idea of where she originated? She may appear in the Red Cross Volunteers records but their accessible database is currently down for updating and has been for a while.an interesting challenge if any members can help with?
Hello.
Sorry Alastair, I can't improve on backman's answer, but I can offer that another of our members, Sarah Rogers has a lot of experience of early nurses and may well be able to offer something too...
Will.
Thank you both. That explains why I have struggled to find anything relating to Blanche's nursing career. I spent far more hours that I should have! I have done well for the family - I found the medal in a box of bits in the garage, destined for the tip. I managed to then find her photograph (also destined for the tip). It is now time to find her a new home...