Mary Wallin

Born 1868, died 1960
Head Nurse at Mitford and Launditch Union Workhouse, 1895-1897
Researched by Dauna Coppin

Mary Ann Wallin, born 8th April 1868 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, was the second born child of Charles and Mary Ann, née Mills. On 2nd April 1871 the census showed that the family, including her elder brother, George, were living at Staniforth Street in Birmingham. Mary was 5 years old, and her father’s occupation was a Brushmaker.

Ten years later, the family had relocated to London and were living at 114 Union Street, in the parish of St Saviour, Southwark. The 1881 census recorded Mary with her nickname of Polly. She was 11 years old and also had a younger sister, Catherine, known as Kate. Mary’s older brother, George remained in London He became a successful Tin Manufacturer and established his own premises.

By the 1891 census, 23-year-old Mary was employed as a Ward Maid at the Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital, Stoney Stanton Road, Coventry. She had been working there as an Assistant Nurse since 1st March 1887. She worked for five years at this hospital until she left ‘to better her position’ in March 1892. Her testimonial, written by Fiona Parsons, House Surgeon, on 19th January 1892, was glowing: “I have much pleasure in testifying to the good qualities of Mary Wallin…as an assistant to the nurse in charge of our Children’s Wards…She is a capital worker, thoroughly conscientious and trustworthy…I have great confidence in recommending her for the post…”.

Mary was then employed by the Metropolitan Asylums Board as an Assistant Nurse, at North Western Hospital, Hampstead, London. Her dates of employment were from 7th June 1892 until 4th March 1893, where“…she performed her duties in a very satisfactory manner”.

Mary’s next job was as a Nurse to the Sick at Moseley Convalescent Home in Birmingham.  Moseley Hall was given to Birmingham by the Cadbury family in 1892 “for use as a convalescent home and children's hospital for under-privileged children” . She worked there from 10th April 1893 until June 1894 when the home had to be closed due to an outbreak of fever.  

In August 1894, the Guardians of King’s Norton Union Workhouse, in Worcestershire, employed Mary as Assistant Nurse.

She resigned from there on 17th April 1895 to better her position and, a week later, was employed as an Assistant Nurse at the Mitford and Launditch Union Workhouse in Gressenhall, where she was received under good recommendation from her previous employers, “Testimonials have been received from, the House Committee of Moseley Convalescent Home, and the House Surgeon of Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital, as to her capabilities etc from which the Guardians believe that she is able to perform her duties efficiently.” She was appointed on an initial  salary of £25.

A year later, in February 1896, the Guardians decided to promote Mary to Head Nurse, after that position became vacant. Her salary was to be raised to £30 per annum with lodging, board and laundry. However, Mary did not stay much more than a year in her new position. Her resignation was received by the Guardians in September 1897 and she received a lovely testimonial from the Guardians, dated 9th October 1897: “I have great pleasure in stating that Miss Mary Wallin was a nurse...for two years and a half and…she performed her duties to the entire satisfaction of the Guardians. The Guardians wish her happiness and prosperity in her future career”. Arthur Rackham, the medical officer, had also written his impressions of Mary a month earlier stating: “She was most attentive to patients under her charge, and always took interest in all her cases...she has good knowledge of the practise of Midwifery having personally attended 25 cases during her residence in the Workhouse…I consider her to be a kind and reliable Nurse”. According to Mary’s great niece, Madeline, Mary and Dr Rackham were briefly engaged.

It is interesting to note that Mary took with her a gift from a previous Nurse with whom she had become friendly. Nurse Sarah Ellen Winter (Nellie) had presented Mary with a Birthday Scripture Text Book. It was inscribed inside the front cover, “Marey Wallin, With good wishes,….success….forever. Nellie Winter. In remembrance of Gressenhall Infirmary. October 14 1895, East Dereham, Norfolk”.  The gift illustrates Mary’s intense religious beliefs. The preface of the book explains that it can be used for prayers on a person’s birthday, and there were several entries from friends and family, including Nurse Winter who had written her name on the page for November 7th, and Thomas Furneaux, a Birmingham Jeweller, who had made Mary a personalised watch that she wore with her uniform, on a chatelaine, and inscribed “To our dear Pollie”. The chatelaine is shown in a colourised photographic portrait of Mary taken around 1905, the same time as a photograph of her with one of her patients, Charles Dodge, a member of the  Dodge Motors family. Another example showing Mary’s religious convictions, was a book of Common Prayer that she gave to her niece for Christmas 1910. 

On leaving Gressenhall, Mary went to work at Halstead Union Workhouse in Essex from November 1897 until December 1898. Her testimony from J. Henry Ashworth, the medical officer, stated that “She has worked amicably with the Head Nurse and assisted her in all her power to alleviate the sufferings of the sick poor.”

Then she moved on to Amesbury Workhouse in Salisbury from 1899 until 1900. When she left, Penrose Barcroft, the House Surgeon, penned another glowing reference on 17th April 1900: “I have always found her diligent in her work and she has taken real care and nursed effectively several very troublesome cases. I feel I can thoroughly recommend her for any post where the services of a skilled nurse are required”.

On the 1901 census, Mary, then aged 31,  was working as a Sick Nurse for the Workhouse in Brixworth, Northampton. She worked there as both Nurse and Assistant Matron from September 1900 until 25th April 1903. During her employment, Mary must have applied for a job as Matron to St Alban’s hospital, for which she was not successful as she remained in Northampton for a further year. The Medical Officer, Frederick Harper, had provided her with  a testimonial, on 1st April 1902. It was very similar to the one he wrote exactly a year later “I have much pleasure in recommending Nurse Wallin for the post of Matron or Nurse which joint duties she has been carrying on in the capacity of assistant Matron and Nurse for nearly three years at Brixworth Workhouse, and I have always found her most willing to do all in her power amongst the sick, as well as all her other numerous duties. She has also given much of her attention to midwifery, and has succeeded very well in managing any case which has occurred in my absence.”

In addition, William Woodford, the Clerk to the Guardians of Brixworth Workhouse, also provided a reference for Mary on 28th April 1903 stating, “The Guardians…say she was most efficient in all her work and they regret the resignation of such a capable and painstaking an Official.”

It is not certain where Mary went immediately after leaving Northampton. However, In August 1903, she received a letter from Mrs Alvina Hutchinson, requesting that she come back to look after her mother. It is possible that she returned to her former employer for a few months.

Also at this time, Mary began to formalise her training. On 26th February 1904, and after taking an obstetric oral exam, she received a certificate of training from the Nursing Institute Medical Home and Maternity Training School, Burlington Gardens, Acton, London.  It stated that:

In July 1904, there was a report in a local Sussex newspaper of the Rye Board of Guardians fortnightly meeting held on Monday 18th July 1904. It mentioned the  Local Government Board  sanctioning the appointment of Nurse Mary Wallin at Rye Union . Mary worked at Rye for four years, on a salary of £25 during which time she received a Midwives certificate, dated April 7th 1905. A Testimonial from Rye Union dated 27th July 1908 showed that Mary had been a valued member of staff: “Miss Wallin took over the infirmary at a critical period, and by her strict devotion to duty, this branch of the establishment has attained great efficiency.”

From November 1908 until February 1909, Mary was employed at the Freebridge Lynn Workhouse in Norfolk. However, on  27th January 1909 there was a resignation from Mary requesting to be relieved of her duties within a month. This was because on 5th February, Mary had been offered and accepted the position of Trained Charge Nurse in the female hospital at Bury Workhouse in Lancashire.

However, shortly thereafter, there was a sudden change to Mary’s circumstances and worklife. She left work to care for her youngest sister, Elizabeth Dean. Elizabeth became ill in 1909 and died, aged just 37 years old, in June 1909. Elizabeth left two young children from her first marriage, Elizabeth and George Lowe. After their mother’s death, George was sent to Canada, and Mary took on the responsibility for Elizabeth.

In 1910, the Relieving Officer of Rye Union wrote to Mary asking her to come back to work for them to replace a nurse who had left. They had offered the job to her before advertising for a replacement. However, Mary could not accept due to her new life with Elizabeth.

The 1911 census shows Mary as living with her 17-year-old niece, and running drapery shop in Wandsworth, London at 143 Clapham Park Road. She remained living with Elisabeth for many years, although they changed the nature of the business. The 1916 and 1919 London Trade Directories shows Miss Mary Wallin as a tobacconist at 143 Clapham Park Road, SW London. The decision to change to selling tobacco may have been due to the fact that Mary owned shares in the industry.

By 1921, the shop had become a tobacconist and confectioner. Mary was listed as a single woman aged 53 and her niece, Elizabeth, was aged 27 and worked in the shop with her aunt. Later, Mary decided to move away from the London area.

Mary had been quite successful in her life; she knew how to save and she was able to buy a house in which to live and also to run her new business as a private nursing home. She moved to Whitstable in Kent and, in September 1924, was advertising her nursing home. Unfortunately, Mary found the work too much to cope with and decided to retire. The house was up for sale, with vacant possession, the following year in August 1925.

Mary continued to live in Whitstable. The 1939 register shows her address as 55 Canterbury Road, Whitstable and Elizabeth had taken over the running of the businesses as a Confectioner shopkeeper, whilst Mary, then aged 71 was no longer working as she was incapacitated. This may have been as a result of an accident when the leg of a bed fell on her big toe, causing great difficulty in walking.

Throughout her life, Mary was a skilled seamstress. Using a treddle sewing machine, she made all her own clothes and often clothes for other people. Mary also produced many handmade lace products.  In addition, she spent a lot of time doing embroidery. 

Her great niece, Madeline Ahad recalls that Mary was short, slim and quietly spoken, with a strong Birmingham accent. Mary always dressed in a long skirt with knitted stockings. She wore a mob cap and her thick hair would be plaited underneath. She had a gentle, warm smile, and was a hard worker all her life. She was also skilled at cooking, and her strawberry jam was a speciality. At Christmas, she made cakes, which were to be sold in her shop. Afternoon tea was an important occasion and Mary always dressed appropriately with long clothes, no cap and her hair piled on top. Mary always read the Daily Express newspaper and was a staunch Conservative voter. She loved to go out in her free time and particularly enjoyed visiting Canterbury Cathedral, in Kent. Mary loved animals, especially cats and was known to have fed all the strays that appeared at her door.

Sadly, a cat scratch became infected and caused Mary’s death from sepsis at the grand old age of 92 in 1960. Her burial was on 5th October 1960 at Whitstable Cemetery.