Ada McKenzie

Born 1875, died unknown
Probationer Nurse at Mitford and Launditch Union Workhouse, 1901
Researched by Dauna Coppin

Ada McKenzie was born in the March Quarter of 1875 in Liverpool. Her baptism took place on 18th July in St Simon, Liverpool. Her parents were James McKenzie, a car driver, and Ellen (née Counsell) who had married in Toxteth St Clement, Liverpool on 19th February 1866. Ada had three older siblings, Mary, James and Alice and a younger sister, Annie.

Sadly, Ada’s father died in the June Quarter 1876, leaving Ellen to bring up her five young children alone. Without an income, Ellen and the children were found in Liverpool Workhouse on two occasions. They were first admitted around April 1876, when Ellen, being temporarily disabled at the time, was located in the nursery with 18-month-old Ada, whilst the older children were in school. Their address given at that time was 18 Brown Street.

The second occasion was in 1878 for a week in July 1878 when, once again, Ellen was described as temporarily disabled. This time, 3-year-old Ada was housed in a separate block from her mother and siblings. The address from which they had been living was given as 12 Russell Place.

However, on the 1881 census, Ada was living with the rest of her family in the house of her grandfather, Joseph Counsell. Joseph was a 58-year-old widower and Ellen’s father. He worked as a furniture broker. Ellen was also working as his assistant. Ada was 6 years old and at school with her siblings. The family lived at 276 Edge Lane, West Derby, Liverpool.

In 1891, the family had moved to 28 Crossfield Road, West Derby. Ada’s mother Ellen was working as a certified midwife and her brother, James was a gas fitter. 15-year-old was also living there with her 18-year-old sister, Alice, and a lodger, Sarah Edwards. Ada’s older sister, Mary, was also following her mother’s profession and working as an Infirmary Sick Nurse in Liverpool Industrial School, Kirkdale, West Derby which, coincidentally, is where their younger sister, Annie, was a recorded as a resident inmate and scholar.

By April 1901, Ada was employed for a short time as a nurse at the Mitford and Launditch Union Workhouse in Gressenhall, Norfolk. It is not known how she ended up so far from home but the Guardian's minutes of 4th March 1901 recorded the following “Resolved that Ada Lavinia McKenzie...is hereby appointed Probationer Nurse at the Workhouse at a salary of £12 per annum with Board and Lodging in the Workhouse but no beer nor beer money.”  The middle name of Lavinia is not certain and had not appeared before this time (or subsequently found).

The census of 1901 shows Ada as 25 years old and a Probationer Nurse born in Liverpool. Her mother, Ellen, was still employed as a midwife and living at 12 Durning Road, West Derby along with her son, James, a railway labourer.

Ada’s work at Gressenhall was short-lived as the Guardians received her resignation three months later. The minutes of 9th July said they had received “A letter dated this day from A.L. McKenzie Probationer Nurse resigning her appointment”. No cause of leaving was given and, unfortunately, no further trace of Ada, or her family, has been positively identified.