Hannah Laws

Born around 1824, died unknown
Nurse at Mitford and Launditch Union Workhouse, 1874-75
Researched by Stephen Pope

Hannah Laws was born around 1824 in Welney, Norfolk to Robert Laws, an Agricultural Labourer and his wife Mary. Little is known about Hannah’s early life, the first reference to her occurs in the 1851 census showing Hannah living in Bridge Street, Downham Market with her parents Robert and Mary, together with her daughter Sarah age 7. Hannah is listed as being unmarried and a Nurse and Charwoman. It would seem that Hannah had started on her career as a Nurse but would probably have had little or no training.

The 1861 census shows Hannah still living in Bridge Street, Downham Market but now she is the head  of the household, age 37 and is listed as a Shopkeeper. It is not stated what type of shop she was looking after.

Around 1862 Hannah applied for and gained a post as the Cook at The Downham Poor Law Union Workhouse on the London Road just outside Downham Market. Hannah was to remain the Cook at this workhouse for some twelve years. In 1874 Hannah applied for a post as a Nurse at the Mitford and Launditch Union at Workhouse at Gressenhall. Her  Appointment Form shows that at the time Hannah was 49 years old, single and with a married daughter (presumably Sarah Ann) and gave her reason for applying to obtain a larger salary.  Hannah commenced her duties as Nurse on 21 March 1874 and received a salary of £20 per annum, rations and one shilling a week in lieu of beer.  Hannah replaced Elizabeth Flood who had been dismissed for reaped acts of insubordination.

A letter dated 17 April 1874 from Lancelot Reed, Clerk to the Downham Poor Law Union gave the following reference. “This is to certify that (Mrs) Hannah Laws has held for upwards of twelve years past the position of Cook in the Downham Union Workhouse during the whole of the which period she has fulfilled all the duties devolving upon her to the entire satisfaction of the Guardians, her general character and conduct during her long service being such as to merit their approbation.” It is interesting to see that the Guardians referred to her as Mrs Hannah Laws, although as far as is known she was never married. 

Hannah worked as a nurse alongside Sarah Mitchell, initially under Dr James Vincent and then Dr Stephen Moulton Hopson, the Workhouse Medical Officers. As far as we know Hannah had no formal training as a Nurse although she had obviously had previous experience as shown in the 1861 census.

An idea of the amount of work the two nurses had to do can be gained from a letter written by the Medical Officer James Vincent to the Poor Law Board on 4 July 1874. Vincent asks whether he could allow patients from the Infirmary to exercise on the area in front of the Workhouse. He informs the Board that at the time there were 90 sick/infirm inmates in the Infirmary. This would have meant that Hannah and Sarah were looking after some 45 patients each, and if on night duty would have been responsible for all 90.

The Nurses quarters were situated between the male and female infirmary wards, probably with one nurse on each floor.  For the most part the patients were aged, paralytic or described then as an ‘imbecile’ with some afflicted with chronic and frequently incurable disease. The younger inmates were also frequently the subject of mesenteric disease, Phthisis or Scrofula. 14 these patients were described as being of unsound mind, seven male and seven female. Amongst them was George Canham an epileptic who was confined in a bed which had metal bars around it to protect him when he had a fit. It was advised that these were replaced with padded planks. 

In December 1874 Hannah and Sarah took over the responsibilities for midwifery at the Workhouse. Until then this had been carried out by a Mrs Wicks from East Dereham for a fee of 2s 6d per patient. For these extra duties Hannah and Sarah were both paid an additional salary of £1.

Hannah continued at Gressenhall as a nurse until 25 October 1875 when she resigned stating that she wished to find a situation of a different routine. The Guardians wrote to the Poor Law Board in June 1876 stating that they “…entertained a high opinion of the character and conduct of Hannah Laws whilst in their service” and were “…perfectly satisfied as to the manner in which she discharged her duties”. What Hannah’s new situation was is unclear but by the 1881 census she is again found as a Nurse this time at the Peterborough Poor Law Union Workhouse in Northamptonshire. How long Hannah worked at the Peterborough Union workhouse is unknown as is when she died.