Ellen Murray

Born 1847, died 1929
Nurse/Superintendent Nurse at Mitford and Launditch Union Workhouse, 1881-91
Researched by Helen Bainbridge

Ellen Murray was the eldest surviving daughter of James Murray and Rebecca Brining, born in 1847. Her parents married on 18th October 1841 in Prescott, Lancashire. The 1851 census shows James Murray was a labourer, aged 39 from Ireland, with Rebecca aged 35 from Liverpool, living at this time at Hillock Street, Prescott, with the McDonell and Ogle family who were lodging with them. In 1861 James is stated to be a breweries labourer. By 1871, aged 24, Ellen has moved to Liverpool and is working at 51 Mount Pleasant as a domestic servant for John Hastings a retired Saddler. John is a widower living with his widowed daughter and two grandchildren.

On 14 December 1880 a request is made by the Board of Guardians of Mitford and Launditch Union Workhouse for sanction of the Local Government Board to appoint Ellen Murray, aged 33, a trained nurse of 13 Canova Street Liverpool to the post of Nurse. The appointment form enclosed states that Ellen trained at the Training School for Nurses, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool and subsequently worked in that Union workhouse infirmary from 9 November 1874 to 26 February 1879.

Interestingly the document states that Ellen is replacing Maria Stratton “who through misconduct was dismissed by the guardians on the 9th August last. They were then obliged to secure the services of a temporary Nurse and they employed Maria Betts of East Dereham…” Courtney Boyle further commented that, “Guardians of such Workhouses as this, situated in a lonely part of the country … find it very difficult to secure the services of a respectable and properly trained nurse.” He nevertheless recommended that, “The Guardians should I think spare no efforts to secure a good and trustworthy an officer as they can get.”

It was at an inquiry in 1865 that it was revealed that workhouses in all the provinces that only “six trained workhouse nurses were employed”.  High profile women such as Louisa Twining and Florence Nightingale in different ways worked to establish formal training for workhouse nurses and the abolition of employing inmates for the task. This resulted in the formation of several training establishments which included the Workhouse Nursing Association, Brownlow Hill Nursing School and Fakenham Nurses Home.

A reference was received from Brownlow Hill for Ellen, which states that she is a “trained and efficient nurse” who “discharged her duties in a satisfactory manner”. Ellen, aged 33, is shown in the 1881 census as being an Officer employed as a Nurse of the workhouse. Her first salary is entered into the Board of Guardians minutes of 28 March 1881 as £7 10s out of the approved annual salary of £30 per annum (with an additional 1 shilling per week in lieu of beer), which is only 9 shillings and 9 pence less than the schoolmaster for the same period.

It doesn’t look as if Ellen’s new job role was easy. On 27 June 1881 it was reported in the Guardians Minutes that Robert Pitcher, of Shipdham, “an inmate of the Workhouse was charged before the Board on the complaint of the Nurse with using insulting language of another inmate”, for which he was punished with meals of bread and water for up to 48 hours.

Ellen is often seen in the Guardians minutes accompanying inmates. On the 9th  January 1882 It was “resolved that the Clerk of Aylsham Union accept Sophia Earl and that the Nurse go by train to Aylsham with Sophia Earl and that a fly be provided for her conveyance to the Railway Station at Dereham.” Also it was resolved on 16th July 1883 “that an outpatient recommendation to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital be given to James Roy an inmate of the Workhouse and that the Nurse go with him to the Hospital and that his and the Nurses expenses be paid by the Master.”

Further indications of the difficulties of her nursing role can be found in the Guardian’s Minutes of the 13th November 1882 where “the Clerk laid before the Board a letter … from Ellen Murray the Workhouse Nurse complaining that she was unable to leave the Workhouse because there was not person to take charge of her duties during temporary absence and also complaining of the want of necessary assistance to keep the Infirmary Wards in a clean and proper state.”  The Board conferred with the Master and Matron on the subject and it was arranged that the Nurse should have the assistance of “as many extra women not exceeding three as could be spared for two days of each week.” This perhaps was extenuated by the workload on the 26th February 1883 “The Visiting Committee also reported that there was 68 patients in the Workhouse Infirmary and 29 of them take medicine 2 or 3 times a day that 46 of them cannot be entrusted with their personal cleanliness that 16 of them are suffering from sores: bad legs to which required to be dressed, that 12 of them are confined to their beds of whom 4 are quite helpless and that the Committee recommended that an Assistant Nurse be engaged.”

The minutes confirm that on 19th March 1883 an appointment was made. Charlotte Gage “is hereby appointed Assistant Nurse at the Workhouse at a salary of £7 10s 0d per annum…”. However by the meeting of 2nd April 1883 “The Clerk laid before the Board a letter … from Ellen Murray resigning her situation as Nurse at the Workhouse. Ellen Murray attended before the Board and stated that she had determined to leave in consequence of the opposition which she had received from the Matron”. It appeared that disagreements between the Workhouse Matron and subordinate officers had been an issue for several years and, finally, the resignation of Ellen Murray prompted the Board to carry out an investigation.

Ellen informed the Board that “Mr. H.B. Vincent surgeon [medical officer] had told her that Matron had informed him that a Lady had complained… had complained that the Inmates of the Infirmary were in a filthy state. Mr H.B. Vincent also attended before the Board and stated that Matron did on Thursday the 29th ult. make to him the statement above mentioned. The Matron afterwards attended before the Board and denied that she made any such statement to Mr. Vincent or to anyone else or that any Lady had made any complaint”.  As a result, a committee was appointed to investigate the state of the Infirmary and to make suggestions on how it could be better managed. Ellen withdrew her resignation pending the inquiry.

Over the following weeks, Mr H Lockwood, the Poor Law Inspector, reported on his findings. One issue was that “the Vagrant Wards were strangely placed in the Infirmary Block.  There were four wells, a number of cesspools that were emptied by a brick drain toward the river Wensum.” Additionally, “The officers appeared to be squabbling and telling tales. The number of lady visitors to the workhouse may have been the cause”.

The report of the Committee was also presented. They stated that they “entertain considerable doubt as to the expediency of investing the Nurse with administrative powers and responsibilities there is indicated”.  They therefore suggested that the report “should be reconsidered by the Guardians with a view to modifying its provision in this respect”.

Mr Lockwood attended the Board meeting of 18th June 1883. His warning to the Master and Matron was recorded at the following meeting, where he stated “you have a lack of inclination or an ability to get on with the Officers and I wish to tell you that in order to lead to dismissal it is not necessary that some grave charge be proved against you.  If the local Government Board find that there were a number of petty matters which cause the Board of Guardians for months or years to be dissatisfied with an Officer or Officers the Local Government Board would in the interests of good administration require that Officer or these Officers to resign”.

During this period of investigation, on 16th April 1883, Sarah Ellen Winter replaced Charlotte Gage and was engaged as “Assistant Nurse at the Workhouse for one month on trial her remuneration to be at the rate of £15 0s 0d per annum and 1s per week in lieu of beer”.

On the 4th June 1883 Ellen Murray wrote to the Board advising them that she cannot manage the women who are sent from the workhouse to the infirmary to help to clean, unless she has full control over them. In the same minutes “Susan Bone of East Dereham and Elizabeth Johnson of Gressenhall, two single women inmates of the Workhouse, having been brought before the Board charged with refusing to do some cleaning work at the Infirmary Ward and having this day persisted in their refusal to do such work.  Resolved that they be taken by the Master before the Magistrate at East Dereham on Friday next and prosecuted for their breach of the law”.

Things must have settled down as Ellen she is not mentioned in the minutes again until March 1886. However, the power dynamic between the Mater, Matron and Nurses once again appeared to be causing issue. The Minutes state that it was “resolved that the Clerk write to the Nurse reminding her that if in her opinion any of the midwifery patients require the attendance of the Medical Officer she should report the fact to the Master in order that he may send for the Medical officer, as it is not competent for her to order the attendance of the Medical officer without the intervention of the Master.” The following week Ellen apologised by letter.

On 28 October 1887, Ellen Murray travelled to Mildenhall, Suffolk with the Workhouse Master, Medical Officer and the East Dereham chaplain to present a murder deposition against Samuel and Mary Ann Smith who were charged with the murder of Daniel Smith. The murder depositions was made by Mildenhall Workhouse Master and Matron, Nurse, Physician and Surgeon, and two inmates. Ellen Murray presented her deposition about Mary Ann and her son being taken into the infirmary on 27th September 1887.

There was more pressure on Ellen and the other nurses around 11th March 1889, “The House Committee reported that in consequence of the illness of several children in the Workhouse an unusual pressure of night work had devolved upon the Nurses who had expressed themselves as feeling the strain very much”. The Guardians “resolved that if a similar pressure should arise and a request in writing for extra assistance be made by Nurse Murray, the Master of the Workhouse be directed to apply to Fakenham Nursing Home for the services of a probationer until the next meeting of the Board.” An Inspection undertaken by H Lockwood stated “that the Male Receiving ward was in a dirty state and that male vagrants in Infirmary accessed it by a separate door and staircase. There were 11 “imbeciles” in the workhouse. He reported too that there were drainage pipe and barrel drains leading to a large cesspool, where sewage was pumped onto land cultivated by inmates. The Medical Officer had been examining “lunatics” on their departure from the workhouse but was not keeping records”.

Ellen Murray herself was ill during March 1890, where the Board of Guardians requested a temporary nurse be employed from Miss Hammond and Fakenham Nursing Home. We are unable to discover anything about her illness or who temporarily covered her role, at present.

On 12th May 1890 the Medical Officer at the Workhouse reported that “it would be desirable to increase the number of beds in the Infirmary and that there were defective Sanitary arrangements in the Women’s Ward. He reported that the heating of the workhouse was unsatisfactory and that a system of heating by warm water ought to be adopted.  Resolved that the Visiting Commission report to the Board as to the Beds in the Infirmary and as to the suggested warm water apparatus.  He asked for the Inspector of Nuisances be requested to examine the sanitary arrangements and report to the Board.  On the report of the Visiting Committee, it was resolved that the Clerk writes to the Clerk of Downham and Aylsham Unions for information as to the warm water system adopted in the Workhouses of those Union”.

In May 1891 H Lockwood, reported that the “Medical Officer visited daily and that there were 2 paid Nurses and two 2 Probationers. The Vagrant Wards was in the Infirmary Building.  A nurse informed the Inspector that the arrangement was no inconvenience to her or her patients. There were 6 “insane” patients in the Workhouse”.  He reported that the water was drawn from three wells.

The 1891 census confirms Ellen to be a certified nurse and midwife and she is now aged 43. Nurses also on the census, who are employed alongside her are Sarah Ellen Winter, as assistant nurse and Maud Elsie Ninnes, a Probationer Nurse. Later that year the board receive another resignation letter, dated 21st September from Ellen Murray. The Board agreed, that subject to approval of Miss Wilson (of the Workhouse Nurses Association) that the place be offered to Sarah E. Winter at £30 per annum with rations of 1s per week beer money.  Also Miss Wilson was asked to send an additional second nurse at £20 per annum.

We do not know what Ellen did immediately after her departure, but within the workhouse the power was granted to the Head Nurse, now Sarah Ellen Winters, to requisition supplies required by the Infirmary without approval by the Matron.

Ten years later in the 1901 census we find that Ellen is working on ‘her own account’ as a trained sick nurse, but was visiting Arthur Moss and his family at 32 Agnew Road, Gorton, Lancashire. However by 1911, now aged 63, she has retired and is stated to be a nurse pensioner. She is living with her niece (daughter of her sister Mary) who has been married for under one year. Ten years later, in 1921, Ellen is stated to be a retired nurse, but her employer is stated to be the Workhouse Nurses Association. Ellen is still living at Warrington Road, Cronton, Widness, Lancashire now aged nearly 74. Ellen’s death is registered in the March quarter of 1929.