Maud Elsie Ninnes

Born 1870, died 1963
Probationer Night Nurse at Mitford and Launditch Union Workhouse, 1890 - 1891
Researched by Dauna Coppin

Maud Elsie Ninnes was born on 21st September 1870 in the Lambeth, London. Her parents were Edward and Eliza (née Slater). Maud had three older siblings, James, Clara and Maria. It is thought that Clara and Maria were twins and that Clara may have died young as no further record of her has been found.

On the 1871 census Maud is aged seven months and living with her parents and two siblings at 15 Manor Terrace, Lambeth. Her father’s occupation is Master Tailor. The family employed a domestic servant and had two lodgers, both born in Germany.

In December 1890, Maud was employed by the Mitford and Launditch Union Workhouse at Gressenhall. She was named on the List of Officers as a Probationary Night Nurse. It appears that she was not given a salary but attended the workhouse as part of her training at the nearby Fakenham Nurses Home, a training school run by Miss S. Hammond. The minutes of the Guardians of the Workhouse recorded on 29th December 1890, “Miss Hammond manager of the Nurses Home in Fakenham having this day recalled from this Workhouse Infirmary the Probation Night Nurse…and sent to supply her place, Nurse Elsie Ninnes...”

The 1891 census shows 20-year-old Maud still working as a Probationer Nurse at the Workhouse. In July of that year, it appears that Maud became a permanent member of staff, as the Guardian’s minutes recorded “Elsie Ninnes Probationer Night Nurse informed the Board she is no longer associated with Fakenham Nurse Home and asked to continue working at the Workhouse with wages, board, lodging and washing. Resolved she be re-employed” .

By 1901, Maud had left the Workhouse and was working as a Hospital Nurse in Wandsworth, London. The census shows her as unmarried, aged 29 years old, and living as a boarder with Mr and Mrs King at 45 Ramsden Road, Streatham. Ten years later, Maud was still unmarried and the 1911 census shows that she remained in the same area and worked as a Sick Nurse in the household of the Tebay family at 120 Bedford Hill, Balham, Wandsworth. She was, by this time 40 years old.

In 1914, war broke out in Europe and Maud volunteers to work for the Red Cross. Military records show that she enlisted on 3rd October 1914 into the British Red Cross Society and Order of St John of Jerusalem regiment. She registered her address as 24 St Michael’s Park, Bristol. Her rank was that of Sister. Records show that Maud also worked abroad during the war and was engaged at the French hospital in St Lunaire, Calais. Maud was awarded the 1915 Star Medal. It is not certain that Maud was paid for this work, as she was a volunteer, but she would have needed at least two months working in an auxiliary hospital (probably in Bristol) with a good report before being sent to work in France.

We do not know anything further of Maud’s life after the war. However, by the time World War Two started in 1939,  Maud had retired and was living alone, aged 69 years, at 19 Baldslow Road, Hastings. The 1939 register also shows that her sister, Marie Louise, aged 71, lived close by at number 50a, a retired Fancy Draper.

Maud lived a long life and died aged  92 years in 1963, during the very long cold Winter. Her death was recorded in Aldershot, Hampshire. The Probate hearing took place on 19th April 1963 at Lewis Court in Surrey. It recorded her death as 7th March 1963 and her residence as Abercorn House, Camberley, Surrey. Maud left £441.1s to her niece, Ruth Ninnes and Phoebe Matilda Bates (relation unknown).