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Had you been
poorly previous to 1897 and been unable to afford the services of a
private nurse you would undoubtedly have had to rely on family, friends,
neighbours to nurse you through your particular illness. In
gratitude for Florence Nightingale's achievements
during the Crimean War, 1854-1856, a fund was raised by public
subscription to enable her
to found a training school for nurses. This was the Nightingale School
set up at St. Thomas'
The Borough of Bacup District Nursing Society was formed in 1897 and comprised of a President, three Vice Presidents, Chairman , Hon Treasurer, Hon Secretary a House Superintendent and a General Committee. In 1905 a great deal of fundraising was undertaken the funds raised being used to buy a house in Dale Street which would be used as a Nurses home and treatment centre the house was number 33 Dale Street. Nurses had to report to the committee once a month at which time the register of patients and nurses reports were given to the committee. The services of the District Nurse were free but patients were encouraged to make a donation to the association if possible. Nurses were not allowed to attend cases of Scarlet Fever, Typhus or Smallpox except in the cases of a emergency and then only if this had been agreed by one of the local Doctors and provision had been made to look after the other patients in the nurses care. Although Bacup had a good selection of St Johns Ambulance nurses many of the District Nurses came from other areas of the country. For instance the British Journal of Nursing of February 29th 1908 shows a transfer to Bacup from Carlisle of a Miss Ada K Howlett, and in the May 1908 edition a transfer for Miss Margaret Gorst to Bacup, followed in November of same year by a transfer to Bacup of Miss Jennie Younger.
Nurse Bridget Ann Kelly Trained at Queens Park Hospital in Blackburn and Rossendale General, where for two years she served as a Maternity sister bringing many babies into the world. During the war years she was in charge of the Bacup First Aid Post and was a nursing officer for St Johns Ambulance Brigade. Nurse Kelly retired in June 1955.
The School nurse operated out of the building that originally started life as the Liberal Club, which sat next door to the school board offices.
Other Nurses that worked in Bacup were: 1915 Nurse Dixon Nurse Awre 1917 Nurse Grace M Clarke and Nurse Margaret J Dodds
Nurse Hamilton and Nurse Neary Nurse Morgan and Boham Nurse Heys and Riley Nurse Wrigley and Davies Nurse Cummings and Nurse John
1944 Nurse Wilson and Nurse Jacks
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Nurses of the St John Ambulance Brigade shown with Dr's Taylor, Brown and Rigby in 1913 at the time of the Royal Visit outside Burwood House.
Bacup Hospital Charities Fund
In 1882 when Bacup received it's charter of Incorporation the Bacup Hospital Charities Fund was set up, collections were made throughout the community by events called Hospital Saturday and Hospital Sunday and from the working class community by collections in the Mills, Factories and Churches. The money raised was then sent as a grant to various hospitals such has Rochdale Infirmary, Birch Hill Hospital Manchester Royal Infirmary, Southport Convalescent Home, The Devonshire Hospital in Buxton and Sourhall Isolation Hospital as well as donations being made to the Bacup Sick Nursing Association. Consequently any patient needing treatment or care from Bacup could then be sent to one of these hospitals and receive treatment or have the attention of one of the nurses from the Sick Nursing Association.
In 1915 it was found that many more children were being referred to Rochdale Infirmary following Medical Examinations carried out in schools which brought to light many cases of eye problems in the children. It was therefore decided that Rochdale Infirmary should receive £5.00 extra from the fund. Another case in 1915 concerned a young girl suffering from *St Vitus Dance who needed to go into the convalescent home in Southport the home however was filled with wounded soldiers from the war. It was decided that extra nourishment be provided to the girl who's family was very poor by the Sick Nursing Society.
Moorlands Infirmary at Rawtenstall.
Devonshire Hospital Buxton
Disease
Smallpox, Measles, Scarlet Fever, Cholera, Whooping Cough, TB, Typhoid Fever, common diseases that helped to see many of our Bacupian and Stacksteads ancestors to early graves. Fairwall Cemetery in Stacksteads holds the remains of many of our Bacupian and Stacksteads ancestors, and although Suicide was a criminal offence it was a common occurrence sometime attempts where unsuccessful and some of these stories are featured in the News Articles section others that succeeded are featured here.
Many of the
houses in Bacup and Stacksteads were of poor build with little
or no sanitation and ventilation. Large families crowded together in
one room allowed for the spread of disease. With no national health
service and many families unable to afford the medical services of
the local doctors they had to depend on remedies passed down from
other to daughter and so on.
In 1874 a Smallpox epidemic in Todmorden led the way to the opening of a Smallpox Isolation Hospital situated in Sourhall in a building called Peel Mill capable of treating 16 patients the cost of which was shared with Bacup funds being available through a joint Hospital Committee that had been set up in 1877. By 1890 23 patients had been sent from Bacup to be treated at the hospital at a cost of £1,217.11s9d.
Whilst there were several Doctors available in Bacup and Stacksteads during 1901, the working class would have tried to avoid the cost of having to call a doctor and would instead have relied on home remedies passed down through mother to daughter etc. Or bought a medicine readily available at the local dispensing chemist of which in Bacup there were plenty Boots, and Sutcliffe's on Bridge street and St James Street to name but two.
Remedies for
coughs and colds were many. Coltsfoot and Horehound Rock, Teas made from
Linseed Garlic and Onion with sugar added for a child. Poultices made
from the leaves of many plants that had been boiled up being placed on
the throat or chest to ease congestion. One remedy for a sore throat
often used was to fasten a fatty piece of Bacon around the throat with
a long woollen sock then put the patient to bed with a hot brick to
keep them warm.
One thing that stands out when looking through the census returns is the amount of children most families had. With no form of contraception available it is no wonder families were on the big side. Many women married and single would use herbs to try to bring on a miscarriage such as Pennyroyal. The married women usually because they already had a large family and just couldn't cope with the additional burden of another child and for the single girls who had fallen pregnant the stigma and shame that would befall them should they give birth to a child out of wedlock. Should it be that the Herbs and home remedies fail then there was no other option to have the baby. Whilst I am certain there would be more than one midwife qualified or unqualified available in Bacup during 1901 the only one I have found as yet was a Elizabeth Greenwood Registered Midwife living at 33 Newchurch Road. Firstly know as the the " Three day fever " the Spanish Flu would become a indiscriminate killer of approximately 50million people world wide in 1918-1919. Bacup and Stacksteads had their own casualties from the Spanish Flu.
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Indigestion was
easily cured with a spoonful of Bicarbonate of soda and for Rheumatism
the wearing of a copper bracelet, the carrying of a stolen Potatoe in
ones pocket was given as a ideal cure. A infusion made from the stalks
of woody nightshade or from the corns of meadow saffron were used for
the treatment of Gout. Feverfew, Vervain, Sorrel and Meadowsweet were
all in common use to treat a Fever.