Collecting Nursing History - Nurse Mollie Watkin

Collecting Nursing History 3
A Nurse History - Mary Ellen (Mollie) Watkin.

Research - Sue Barker
Text - Wilf Burgess

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Preface.

Mary Ellen Watkin - was born Upton, Widnes, Lancashire on 20th September, 1887. Mary Ellen, 'Mollie'', had been a member of a VAD Detachment for 4 years before becoming a Probationer at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London on 1st August 1919. On her way to a distinguished career largely nursing wounded men from the WWII, she took the Bart's Gold Medal during training and eventually became a qualified nurse, a sister on the casualty and surgical wards and night superintendent. She retired on October 6th 1949, after more than 30 years continuous service at perhaps one of the most prestigious hospitals not only in the British Empire at the time, but in the world, to say nothing of it's historic position in relation to the nursing profession.

Bart's first formal School of Nursing was founded in 1877. The first ‘probationers’ (modern day student nurses) entered training only 17years after the very first formal school of nursing in England - that founded by Florence Nightingale - regarded by many as the founder of the nursing profession, was opened in 1860 at St Thomas Hospital, London. But Bart's had played a role there too - Florence herself had received encouragement from Elizabeth Blackwell, one of the pioneers of medicine as a career for women, who had been permitted to study at Barts by James Paget, the first Warden of the Medical School and later Serjeant-Surgeon to Queen Victoria.*

The position nursing at St Bartholomew's was reinforced by it's own history - the second great pioneering lady of the nursing profession - Ethel Gordon Manson - was appointed Matron in 1881 - she was just 24 years old. Later as Mrs Bedford Fenwick, in 1887, she founded the Royal British Nursing Association - the first professional nursing organization in the world?? and fought long and hard for a State Register of nurses. She went on to become Britain’s first state registered nurse. Hardly surprising since the first General Nursing Council - that for England & Wales, was created in no small part because of her own efforts. She was also it's first Chairman.

Imagine then, training, working, qualifying and gaining promotion - casualty sister; surgical ward sister; and night superintendent. At the beginning in the aftermath of the first World War, at the end during WWII, at such a prestigious hospital, whose reputation depended upon the quality of it's staff. A challenge indeed for Mary Ellen (Mollie) Watkin - a farmers daughter from Lancashire! An impossible dream..

The personal and professional standards at St Bartholomew's were incredibly high, demanding considerable personal sacrifice and high levels of performance. Again not least because of the reputations of those associated. Neither nurses nor medical staff, founders nor benefactors wished to be associated with anything less than the very best.

But for Mary Ellen, whose interest in nursing became obvious very early in life, it was a dream that would become reality - which she would make a reality - even before the advent of the nursing as a recognised profession.

Her career started when became a member of the St John Ambulance Association when she was xx years old. Later she became a member of the 44th Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) which led her to nursing the injured WWI servicemen at the Tigne Hospital, Malta, before commencing her career at Bart's. On Aug 1st, 1919 - the date she became a Probationer there, she was 31 years old.* It was really an odd route into nursing. Members of the St John Ambulance Association - and in particularly members of VAD detachments were not respected by 'trained' nurses of that period. But by whatever route she had entered, by the time her career concluded she had reached her 60th birthday and had given 30 years of service to Bart's.

According to Ted Watkin-Jones, an uncle who knew her throughout her life, she viewed that event considerable sadness, having devoted her life to the nursing profession and almost her entire career at St Bartholomew's.

Mary Ellen Watkin died at Widnes, Lancs, on November 23rd 1967 aged 80 years. Perhaps that would have been the end of the matter - her name fading into history after a distinguished career - were it not for chance, or perhaps fate, bringing her name, her legacy, into the public gaze once again.

Notes:
St Bartholomew's was founded, with the Priory of St Bartholomew, in 1123 by Rahere, formerly a courtier of Henry I.*

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SECTION 1
Schools of Nursing.

SECTION 2

SECTION 3
Nursing Organizations

Statutory Bodies.
Nursing & Midwifery Council.

Professional/Trade Unions.
Royal College of Nursing.