Nursing Uniform Identificaiton help required?

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by Axel78, Jan 11, 2021.

  1. Axel78

    Axel78 Member

    Hi all,

    Could anyone kindly help me identify the nursing uniform that my grandmother is wearing in this picture. Unfortunately very little is known at this time but it would be great to see if I can get hold of any kind of records for my mother. All I know is that she was in London during her service but do not know what organisation?

    Apologies for the rubbish photo but received this via a WhatsApp photo recently. I hope to get a scanned version soon.

    Grandma Steggel.jpg
    Many thanks,
     
  2. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

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  3. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Good suggestion by Tony56 - can you tell us when she was born, her name etc to give an idea as to what era she nursed in

    TD
     
  4. Axel78

    Axel78 Member

    of course and my apologies. Her name was Joan Mary Steggel (maiden = Roach)

    Born 1917, Romford, Essex
    Married 1941 Romford to Stanley Arthur Steggel (Stanley Arthur Steggel | ParaData)
    Died 2001, Cheshire

    Was definitely a nurse during WW2 serving in London for sure but unsure of any other dates

    Many thanks
     
  5. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    In 1939 she was a 'Probationer Nurse' at King George Hospital, Eastern Avenue, Ilford. She is single and under her maiden name of Roach with a dob of 7 Feb 1917.

    Possible baptism
    Baptism date 11 Mar 1917
    Father's first name(s) Frederick John
    Father's last name Roach
    Father's occupation Cooper
    Mother's first name(s) Mary Elizabeth
    Place Collier Row, the Ascension
    Residence Norman Villa Hainault Rd Romford
    County Essex
     
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  6. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007
    Name: Joan M Roach
    Registration Date: Jan 1917
    [Feb 1917]
    [Mar 1917]
    Registration Quarter: Jan-Feb-Mar
    Registration District: Romford
    Inferred County: Essex
    Mother's Maiden Name: Mason
    Volume Number: 4a
    Page Number: 887

    England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
    Name: Joan Mary Steggel
    Death Age: 84
    Birth Date: 7 Feb 1917
    Registration Date: Jul 2001
    Registration District: South Cheshire
    Inferred County: Cheshire
    Register Number: D9B
    District and Subdistrict: 3411D
    Entry Number: 201

    There is another Joan M Roach born in 1917 but November - could be confusing so be aware

    You may need at some point a copy of the death certificate as normally for military records they demand one to know how long ago the person died and to cover themselves for data protection etc.. Never had anyone go through the nursing service record system so would be interested to learn what you have to do, what you need to provide and how you basically get on. Be nice to see what it looks like as well. Could be a very interesting thread

    TD
     
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  7. travers1940

    travers1940 Well-Known Member

    Registered with the General Nursing Council in 1941. This is her entry in the Register of Nurses 1943.

    Screen Shot 2021-01-11 at 16.44.59.png






     
  8. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Travers - who has that database?? - available online??

    TD
     
  9. travers1940

    travers1940 Well-Known Member

    Its on Ancestry and is a scan of the Registers held in the RCN Library.
    https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/60423/
    This collection consists of a number of different registers from diverse organisations. Prior to1921 registers of nurses were kept locally, by hospitals and nursing organisations. These included Burdett’s Directories from 1898 and the Royal College of Nursing (1916-1923).
    In 1921 the General Nursing Councils (GNC) were established; one for England and Wales, one for Scotland and one for Ireland. The register of nurses was first published in 1922. The publication of the registers ended in 1968. These registers are held by the Royal College of Nursing Library and Archive Service, the largest specialist nursing collection in Europe.
    The Royal College of Nursing was founded in 1916 and successfully campaigned for the state registration of nurses. It continues as a professional member organisation and the voice of nursing to this day.


    Travers
     
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  10. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Thanks for the info Travers - for the Axel and for completeness and address's may be fun to check out

    Name: Joan Mary Steggel
    [Joan Mary Roach]
    Residence Year: 1943
    Residence Place: Romford
    Registration Date: 27 Jun 1941
    Publisher: General Nursing Council for England & Wales
    42509_334014_01685.jpg


    Name: Joan Mary Steggel
    [Joan Mary Roach]
    Residence Year: 1946
    Residence Place: Ilford
    Registration Date: 27 Jun 1941
    Publisher: General Nursing Council for England & Wales
    42509_334088-01980.jpg

    Name: Joan Mary Steggel
    [Joan Mary Roach]
    Residence Year: 1966
    Registration Date: 27 Jun 1941
    Publisher: General Nursing Council for England & Wales
    42509_334101_00175.jpg
    Unfortunately no address in this one but you do now have her 'service/registration' number 108710 if you need it when chasing up other avenues

    TD
     
  11. Axel78

    Axel78 Member

    Thank for all your help Travers, Tricky Dicky and Tony, some really great info there. I will get this over to my mom and aunty and they'll be really appreciative. Please find some more pictures of my grandma that has just come to light
     

    Attached Files:

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  12. travers1940

    travers1940 Well-Known Member

    The last photo 1941 is presumably after she has passed her exams & is registered, as she has different headwear. If I remember rightly from a relatives training, once you had qualified as SRN you became a sister and/or specalised in one field ?
     
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  13. Axel78

    Axel78 Member

    That sounds about right. I have been told she was also qualified as a theatre nurse, district midwife (which she loved apparently). My mum has also confirmed that she remember her wearing the belt and buckle of an SRN although this has been lost somewhere?

    Any ideas on the dark jacket and headwear she is wearing in the smaller pictures.

    I was told today about a story that they use to wear navy capes with red linings and when it was Christmas, the nurses use to reverse their caps and then go around singing Christmas carol to the patients ; )
     
  14. travers1940

    travers1940 Well-Known Member

    I also think the buckle was only when qualified. The headwear would I think be that of a student nurse, and also the cape etc. Like a walking out uniform in the army. Students usually had to live in at the nurses home, and would have allsorts of things organised, and what they wore at work & to/from work would have been regulated & smartness inspected & strict rules of behaviour & morals.

    A neighbour of ours who trained in the 20's 30's said that her parents had to pay for her to train as an SRN.
     
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