In some cases the full detailed catalogues of archive collections are not yet in this online database: hard copy versions are available in the Rare Materials Room of the Library and on request to archs+mss@wellcome.ac.uk

Early Modern Midwives

Collection of certificates relating to English provincial midwives, 1687-1728 MS.3544

'Instruction pour les sages-femmes et les nourrises...' c. 1750 MS.1720/7

Collection of documents relating to midwives in France, 1785-6, MS.3543

Carlo Bursa: 'Elementi sopra l'Arte dei Parti con Dimande e Risposte del fu G L Baudelocque e Compendiati in favore delle Levatrici Piemontesi ... 1819': Manual of obstetrics for the use of midwives, based on Principes sur l'art des accouchemens, par demandes et réponses, en faveur des sages-femmes de la campagne, by Jean-Louis Baudelocque (1745-1810), first published in 1787, based in its turn on an earlier work entitled Catéchisme sur l'art des accouchements pour sages-femmes de la campagne (Soissons:1775), by Anne Aimable Augier du Fot MS.7645

Lists of licences in midwifery issued by the Province of Canterbury and various dioceses during the 17th and 18th centuries, compiled by A. W. J. Haggis MS.5349

Extracts from 17th century records of the consistory courts of Gloucester and Hereford relating to physicians, surgeons and midwives, compiled by A. W. J. Haggis MS.5350

Material relating to nursing and midwifery can also sometimes be found in Domestic Receipt Books: see separate leaflets covering 16th & 17th centuries, 18th century, 19th century

Organisations: Professional

HEALTH VISITORS ASSOCIATION (f.1896) (1896-1915 Women Sanitary Inspectors' Association; 1915-1930 Women Sanitary Inspectors' and Health Visitors' Association; 1930-1962 Women Public Health Officers' Association; 1962-date Health Visitors' Association): Archives from 1902 include minutes of executive and various sub-committees, some general administrative material, publications, ephemera and photographs. Also some records of Institute of Infant Welfare Fund, Chelsea Health Society and School for Mothers; papers of individuals including Rachel BARNES (1881-1981), Jessy Kent PARSONS (d.1966), G.K. BURNE (1912-1989), Jane WYNDHAM-KAYE (née Whiteman) OBE (1921-1996), NANCY ZINKIN (née Blackburn) (1912-2003) SA/HVA

QUEEN’S NURSING INSTITUTE (Chartered in 1889 as Queen Victoria's Jubilee Institute for Nurses; 1928-1973 The Queen's Institute of District Nursing): Coordinating body for district nursing; undertook basic training until 1968, now organises research and post-basic training. Large archive includes records of the establishment of the Institute including Florence Nightingale correspondence; rolls of affiliated branches, England and Wales, and of Queen's Nurses; inspectors' reports on branches including in Scotland and Ireland; correspondence re district nursing worldwide, especially Malta, Jamaica and Tanganyika. Plus records of the Protestant Sisters of Charity/Institution of Nursing Sisters (founded by Elizabeth FRY), 1840-1939, personal papers including of Dame Rosalind PAGET (1855-1948) (see also GC/236) and reports and histories re the College of Nursing, the Nightingale Fund, the Midwives' Institute and individual district nursing associations SA/QNI

Organisations: General

ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY MEDICAL OFFICERS OF HEALTH (1902-1974) and its successor ASSOCIATION OF AREA MEDICAL OFFICERS OF HEALTH (1974-1982) Some material on various public health responsibilities involving midwifery, nursing services and health visiting SA/CMO SA/AMO

ASSOCIATION OF HEALTH AND RESIDENTIAL CARE OFFICERS (Founded in 1898 as the National Association of Workhouse Masters and Matrons, dissolved 1984): Represented interests of members in residential care and hospital administration SA/AHR

BRITISH SOCIAL HYGIENE COUNCIL (FORMERLY NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR COMBATTING VENEREAL DISEASES) (f.1914): This body promoted the better teaching and training of health care workers with respect to sexually transmitted diseases SA/BSH

BRITISH MEDICAL ASSOCIATION: Relations of medical profession with nurses and midwives, 1900s-60s SA/BMA

FAMILY PLANNING ASSOCIATION (f.1930): Some material on nurses in family planning, 1920s-70s SA/FPA

MEDICAL WOMENS FEDERATION (f.1917): Various files re midwifery, nursing, etc 1920s-70s SA/MWF

NATIONAL BIRTHDAY TRUST FUND (f. 1928): Established to campaign for improvements in maternity provision and antenatal care, including midwife training and methods of analgesia suitable for home deliveries; archive includes records of Joint Council on Midwifery, 1934-40s SA/NBT

NATION’S FUND FOR NURSES: Archives 1917-88, including Elderly Nurses’ Fund (Nursing Mirror Nurses and Midwives Fund), 1925-79, the Edith Cavell Homes of Rest for Nurses, 1917-77, and similar bodies, 1919-79. Also records of the British Women’s Hospital Committee, 1915-20, and memorabilia of Annie, Viscountess Cowdray SA/NFN

SOCIETY OF MEDICAL OFICERS OF HEALTH (f.1856) subsequently SOCIETY OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE, then SOCIETY OF PUBLIC HEALTH: material on nursing (recruitment, terms of service training) and nursing services within public health administration, midwives (registration and training), and health visitors, 1890s-1980s SA/SMO

Individual nurses and midwives

Anon nurse (1900-01): Boer War Journal. MS.6034

Miriam BAGSHAW (fl. 1940s): Lecture notes on surgery and medicine (probably for nurses), Charing Cross Hospital 1941 MS.8014

Elizabeth BATTEN, SRN (1884-1984): Photos and other items relating to her nursing career, mainly at the Royal Free Hospital GC/80

Marie Anne Victoire Gillain BOIVIN (1776-1841): Albums of plates illustrating the morbid pathology of the uterus etc, 1811-32; 'Notes sur diverses parties de l'art des accouchements', 1811-39 MS.1289-90

Sgt John CAIRNS: small group of papers relating to his service as a nursing orderly in the RAMC, 1926-50 MS.8139

Pamela Mary CLEWETT: Reminiscences as a probationer nurse at St George's Hyde Park, 1939-45 GC/41

Diana Blanche Bellenden COOKE (nee Clarke): 'Recollections of her nursing career during and shortly after the Second World War' MSS.7988-9

Mary Louisa DRABBLE (1900-1972): Nursing notebooks of her sister Margery Drabble, c.1921 GC/227

Lilias HAMILTON (1858-1925): Prior to qualifying in medicine trained as a nurse at Liverpool Infirmary: a little material, largely drafts of A Nurse's Bequest, her autobiographical novel, survives for this period PP/HAM

Rosa Louise HUNT: 'Journal of a Red Cross VAD Member on Special Service during the Great War' in Malta, 1915-6 GC/40

Nellie INSLEY: `The Story of A Great Adventure': History of the English Hospital for French Soldiers at St Malo, 1914-5 GC/22

Sister Mary Ethel Corry KNOCKER: unpublished memoir, diaries, and memorabilia including photos, relating to nursing training and service as a nurse on the Western Front during the First World War, 1912-25 GC/258

Florence NIGHTINGALE (1820-1910): Correspondence and papers, 1829-1905; also copies of material elsewhere, MSS.5471-5485, 6930, 8991-9109 See Florence Nightingale: guide to sources in the Wellcome Library (PDF255.3KB)

NURSE CERTIFICATES: various individuals, 1918-1939, and associated documents GC/90

Mrs POWELL, nurse, Widnes: letter to a Dr. Brentnall of Warrington, setting out her dire financial straits and asking for employment [n.d. c. late (19th- early C20th) MS.7545/5

Gertrude Ethel Mary SHANNON (1896-1998): Certificates, correspondence with Central Midwives Board, photograph, records of cases while training at Clapham Maternity Hospital, 1920s, and at home in Australia, 1920s-40s PP/SHA

Ada L SOWERBY: Notebooks while training at St Mary's Paddington and East End Maternity Hospital, 1920s PP/FGS/F

E J THOMAS: 4 volumes of notes on lectures to trainee nurses at the Poplar and Stepney Sick Asylum in East London, c.1905-1910 GC/239

Dorothy WALLER (?-1986): Materials relating to her work in the Red Cross, 1912-20, including Voluntary Aid Detachment during the First World War GC/93

Gwendoline Mary WALKER: letters from nurse in Mozambique to friend, 1930-8, with photographs MS.8537

Florence Jane WATKINS, VAD: photograph, certificates of application for war service bar (1919) and (printed) letter 'Dear Nurse' from Acting Matron, Guy's Hospital, Dec 1916 MS.7891

Nora Blanche WOODMAN, MBE (1885-?): Accounts of training as a nurse in 1906, and additional material on Lambeth Infirmary/Hospital GC/56

Other collections including relevant material

Robina ADDIS (1900-1986): Lecture notes and other material from her involvement in training courses for health visitors in the 1960s, particularly on the social work aspects of the profession PP/ADD

Herbert Davies CHALKE (1897-1979): Articles and addresses re the role of health visitors within the public health service c.1950-65 GC/200

Sir Albert, CMG, OBE (1870-1951), and Lady (Katherine), CMG, OBE (1863-1938) COOK: Medical missionaries in Uganda (Lady Cook Matron of Mengo Hospital, 1897-1911) with particular interest in improving midwifery services; established the Lady Coryndon Maternity Training School. Diaries, letters, photographs PP/CO O

Sir (William) Allen DALEY (1887-1969): nursing, midwifery, health visiting in the context of public health provision, talks to conferences and training schools, etc 1920s-60s, papers as advisor to Queen’s Nursing Institute and member of General Nursing Council, 1950s-60s PP/AWD

Sir Weldon DALRYMPLE-CHAMPNEYS (1892-1980): Interim report of the Inter-departmental Committee on Nursing Services, 1939; talks to nurses, 1940s-50s GC/139

Grantly DICK-READ (1890-1959): Author of Natural Childbirth and Childbirth without Fear and influential propagandist for `Natural Childbirth'; papers include extensive correspondence from mothers, doctors, midwives, physiotherapists etc, as well as lectures to midwives and nurses, 1930s-50s PP/GDR

'DOCTORS AND NURSES: ALLIES OR ADVERSARIES': Transcripts of 162 interviews with medical and nursing staff for a study on inter-professional relations between doctors and nurses (covering characteristics of good/bad staff, responsibility for medical decisions, training etc.), 1989-90 GC/249

‘THE EXPANDING FIELD OF MENTAL HEALTH IN ENGLAND AND WALES, 50 YEARS OF PROGRESS, 1918-1968: includes material on psychiatric nursing MS.7913

Lyon FALKENER (1867-1947): Photograph album containing 6 photographs of nursing staff, wards, operating theatre and dispensary at the Metropolitan Hospital, 1896 MS.6808

Rudolph Karl FREUDENBERG: besides material relating to nursing at Netherne Hospital, papers on his work on Mental Nurses’ Committee of General Nursing Council, 1960s-70s PP/RKF

Noel Gordon HARRIS (1897-1963): Mental nursing notes, correspondence, reports, circulars, 1937-[1958] including revision of the `Red Handbook' 1958-9 PP/NGH

Basil HOOD (1876-1978): ‘Notes on St Marylebone Infirmary': Includes some notes on nurse training and staffing 1910s-20s GC/21

Ivy KEESS (?1885-?1953): The rather scanty papers of this medical missionary include reference to her work in midwifery education in Quetta (now in Pakistan) c. 1920s GC/78

Lord LISTER: correspondence with Lord George Hamilton, Secretary of State for India, and H C K Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne, Secretary of State for War, on the employment of female hospital assistants for the treatment of women with venereal diseases in India, 1897 MS.6186

Dorothy Minnie NEWHALL (1884-1975): Diaries of service as nurse and sanitary inspector in the Serbian army and with the Serbian Relief Fund, First World War GC/165

Dame Rosalind PAGET (1855-1948) and Nursing Notes: Records of this journal (founded by Dame Rosalind in 1887), some memorabilia of this pioneer of midwifery training, records of the Midwives’ Institute Trust Fund, 1919-84, and a set of lecture notes for pupil nurses [n.d.] GC/236

ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS MUNIMENT COLLECTION: Includes lecture notes, memorabilia, publications re military nursing. See ‘Nursing’ ‘Hospitals’and ‘Gynaecology’ in index 1 R A MC

Mary STANLEY: autograph note, signed, apparently lacking its beginning, describing relations between doctors and nurses in the Eastern Hospitals, 1856 MS.7655/187

Marie Charlotte Carmichael STOPES (1880-1958): Stopes preferred to employ trained nurses in her birth control clinics rather than doctors (except for cases of actual pathology); collection includes correspondence with clinic nurses, examination papers, etc PP/MCS
[additional papers in Department of Manuscripts, British Library ]

Thomas Weldon TRENCH (1833-1872): letter from Mme Schoureck, who nursed him through dysentry in 1870, 1871 MS.7846/45

Dr Cicely WILLIAMS.(1893-1992): Head of Maternal and Child Health Section of WHO 1948-1951 and lecturer and consultant in many countries 1951-1987. Special interest in the development of decentralised community health schemes in developing countries 1929-87 PP/CDW

WELLCOME ARCHIVES: material on history of nursing, midwifery, etc, among the records of the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum, 1900s-60s WA/HMM

WELLCOME FOUNDATION: material re promotion of products to nurses, via exhibitions, adverts in nursing press, and distribution of nurses’ diaries, 1890s-1990s WF

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See also Wellcome/National Archives Hospital Records Database and Medical Archives and Manuscripts Survey for relevant material elsewhere

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