Ann Webster

Born around 1810, died around 1874
Nurse at Mitford and Launditch Union Workhouse, 1852- 1853
Researched by Elizabeth Steele

Ann Webster was appointed Nurse in the old men’s sick ward at the Mitford and Launditch Union Workhouse, Gressenhall in January 1852 with a start date of 2 February 1852. Her  appointment form of July 1851, states that she was aged 41, therefore suggesting a birth year of  approximately 1810, unfortunately it doesn’t record her place of birth. She was a widow, living at Dereham Road, Norwich, Norfolk. For the past 3 Months she had been employed in a private capacity on monthly account, as a General Nurse.  The six months preceding this, she was employed as a Nurse at the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital and before this as a Nurse in the refractory ward in the County Lunatic Asylum at Thorpe, Norwich, Norfolk. She has never worked in any other workhouse. Her salary at Gressenhall was to be £15 per annum with rations, washing and lodging in the workhouse included. She has  provided her own statement testimonials from the Matrons of both the hospital and the lunatic asylum. The guardians, from these testimonials, believed her to be “fully competent to the discharge of her duties”. It is noted on the form, that previously the guardians have been unable to obtain the services of a competent person. She has signed the form, indicating some level of literacy.

However, following several months of being  off sick and only thirteen months following her appointment as Nurse, Ann had resigned, and left the employment of Gressenhall workhouse. There are no records of the exact circumstances relating to her resignation. In a letter to the Poor Law Board on 31 May 1853 from James Vincent, Medical Officer to Gressenhall workhouse, he writes that since 1849 the average number of visits made by him to the workhouse has been doubled which  he feels is partly through the general increase of numbers in the house, but chiefly in consequence of the plan adopted by the guardians of converting the House into a hospital. In particular he notes that the Board had found it necessary to fit up extra wards for sick accommodation and to employ (in addition) to the usual pauper nurses, a “good educational nurse [Ann]” at salary of £15.  Furthermore, he continues Ann had been “obliged to leave the situation in consequence of ill health induced by fatigue”. This suggests that the responsibilities and duties expected of Ann  were too much.  As the  one competent nurse, assisted by pauper nurses and supervised by the workhouse matron, the wife of the master who may or may not have had any experience or knowledge of caring for the sick, Ann was expected to deal  with all paupers who had been admitted to the workhouse who required care. These would  have included the elderly and infirm, the chronically ill, venereal patients, those with infectious and skin diseases, women in childbirth and inmates who were mentally ill. Dr  Vincent as Medical Officer, would have controlled the supply and prescribing of medicines and he visited the workhouse on a limited basis.

Ann, once no longer employed at the workhouse, appears to disappear from all records. An entry on the 1871 Census has an Ann Webster aged 62, living at Skeyton, Norfolk with Charles Wilkens as head of family (no relation). Her occupation is recorded as Nurse. Her birth place is given as Tuttington, Norfolk This could be her, it is difficult to confirm as we have no details of her maiden name, to confirm her birth or marriage or if she was indeed single.  If it  is her, there is a later listing of a death of an Ann Webster on 25 August 1874, aged 66 at Skeyton, Norfolk.