Sarah Jane Barber

Born 1871, died 1953
Superintendent Nurse at Mitford and Launditch Union Workhouse 1909-1914
Researched by Mavis Douglas

Sarah Jane Barber was born at Great Yarmouth on 25 September 1870, although the 1939 register states she was born on 25 September 1871. Sarah Jane was the first-born child to parents Benjamin W Barber (1844-1918) a painter by trade, and Sarah Anne Osborn Barber (nee Wright) (1842-1893).  The 1871 Census shows them living at Market Street South, Great Yarmouth and Sarah is six months old.

At the 1881 Census Sarah Jane is recorded as 10 years of age and living at New Brunswick Road, Heigham, Norwich, with her parents and three younger siblings, Ernest who is 9 years old, Louisa who is 7 years old and Albert who is 5 months old. Her father is now employed as a publishing agent. However by the 1891 census the family have moved to Waldeck Road, Basford, Nottinghamshire. Sarah’s father is now a Publishers Agent and her brother, now aged 19 is a Merchants Clerk. Sarah’s mother dies on 20 April 1893, and was still living at 66 Waldeck Road, Carrington and leaves just over £140 in her estate. Sarah’s father then marries Elizabeth Gisborne in the June quarter of 1896 in Nottingham.

Whether this change of circumstance influenced what Sarah did next is unknown. In the 1901 census, Sarah, aged 33 is found to be a ‘professional nurse (sick)’, and is visiting the Bodger family in Whitley, Northumberland. The Nursing Record and Hospital World, dated 29 March 1902 states that Miss S J Barber applied for membership of the Society for the State Registration of Trained Nurses having been certified at Brownlow Hill Infirmary, Liverpool. Where she was working at this time is unknown.

The first record we have of Sarah working as a Workhouse nurse is at the Wirral Workhouse. She commenced employment there as an additional Charge Nurse (with Martha Musker) in August 1907. The annotations states that approval was made for the“guardians’ proposal to appoint 2 additional Charge Nurses and 6 additional probationers and to assignation to the office of nurse a salary of £20, £13 probationers and £26 per annum”. Sarah is annotated to receive £30 per annum and left by March 1909. The Guardians of Wirral Union Workhouse confirmed that Sarah had contracted out while in Service of the Parish of Liverpool with no deductions being made for superannuation from her salary. 

The first mention of Sarah at the Mitford and Launditch Union Workhouse is in the Guardians Minute books, where it is stated that on 8th February 1909, “Nurses Foster & Barber be requested to attend the Visiting Committee next Friday at the Clerks Office as selected candidates for the office of Superintendent Nurse”. Both nurses were paid travelling expenses for the interviews. The Guardian’s minutes of 5 April 1909 indicate that Sarah commenced employment from 6 March 1909, as she was paid £1 18s 11d by cheque. The Local Government Board approved her appointment in a letter presented at a meeting of the Guardians on 19 April 1909 at a starting salary of £35 per annum, rising to a maximum of £40 per annum after one year of service. Throughout the minutes wages are listed that have been paid, as are confirmation of granted requests for leave, with one stating that leave was given due “to her father’s illness”. Confirmation of a pay increase to £40 is noted in the minutes dated 7 March 1910, where it stated that she had “carried out her duties during the past year to the satisfaction of the Guardians”.

The 1911 census confirms that Sarah, now aged 40, was on the staff of Mitford and Launditch Union Workhouse and confirmed her title as a Superintendent Nurse. Other nurses working at this time included Annie Shearing, Theresa Wynn and Daisy C Smith.

In 1913 Sarah must have been considering other positions as the Guardians minute state that it was “resolved that the Clerk sign on behalf of the Guardians a testament stating that Miss S J Barber has been in their service as Superintendent Nurse since 6th March 1909, and that during her period of service she has performed her duties to the entire satisfaction of the Guardians”. However more leave is granted later that year and into 1914 and her notice of resignation was received and accepted on 31 August 1914. The staff register confirms that Sarah left ‘voluntarily’, but no reason was given. Her father dies in Nottingham on 12 April 1918 which may be significant, as may the outbreak of the First World War; the 1921 census record is unable to be found to date. 

 Sarah does appear on the 1939 Register as a Nurse (Private); living as a boarder at a Boarding House 15 Willow Lane, Norwich, she is now 68 years of age. A record of Sarah’s death can be found in Nottinghamshire. She was aged 83 years and died on 9 August 1953. A burial stone can be seen at the General Cemetery, Nottinghamshire and listed on her stone are her parents and her younger sister, Louisa who died a year before her.