Click on International Council of Nurses for information about the world's first international organisation for health professionals, which she co-founded.
Ethel Gordon Manson was born 26 January 1857 in Spynie House, Spynie, Elgin, Moray, Scotland, the second of the three children of Dr. David Davidson Manson (1809-1858) and his second wife, Harriette Anne Manson née Palmer (1830-1908). Her two siblings were: Clara Belasyse Manson (1855-1944) and Eric Edmund Moffat Davidson Manson (1858-1916).
Our Picture Source and her Wikipedia page give extensive information about this lady.
Her father died, aged 48 years, on 27 September 1857 in Spynie, Moray, Scotland and in the 4th quarter of 1859 her mother married George Storer (1814-1888) in the Horncastle Registration District, Lincolnshire.
In the 1861 census she is shown as aged 4 years and living in the village of Thoroton, Nottinghamshire, with her mother, her step-father, her two siblings, together with a cook, a housemaid, a nurse, a male general servant and a groom. Her step-father was described as a landed proprietor and occupier of 450 acres employing 10 men and 6 boys.
She was listed as aged 14 years in the 1871 census, living in Thoroton Hall, Thoroton, with her mother, her step-father, her sister, together with a cook, a housemaid, a needlewoman and a groom. Her step-father was shown as a magistrate and farmer of 420 acres employing 11 men and 4 boys.
In 1874, her step-father, who was member of the Conservative Party, was elected unopposed as the Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire South and retained his seat in subsequent elections until 1885 when the constituency was abolished.
When the 1881 census was undertaken she was described as aged 24 years and a hospital sister at The London Hospital, Whitechapel, London.
On 6 July 1887 she married Dr Bedford Fenwick (1855-1939). The marriage was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1887 in the City of London Registration District. Their son, Christian Bedford Fenwick (1888-1969), was born on 15 September 1888 and when he was baptised on 29 November 1888 at All Souls Church, Marylebone, Middlesex (now Greater London), the baptismal register shows the family residing at 20 Upper Wimpole Street, Marylebone and that his father was a physician.
The 1891 census shows her as aged 34 years and living at 20 Upper Wimpole Street, Marylebone, with her husband and their son, together with a cook, a parlour-maid, a housemaid and a nurse. Her husband was recorded a physician registered practitioner.
She was still recorded as living at 20 Upper Wimpole Street, Marylebone, in the 1901 census, with her husband, together with a housekeeper, a cook, a parlour-maid and a housemaid. Her husband was shown as a consulting physician.
Her husband completed his 1911 census return form showing himself as a consulting physician living in a 15 roomed property with stables at 20 Upper Wimpole Street, Marylebone, with his wife, whom he described as an editor of a nursing journal, and their son who was a barrister-at-law, together with a housekeeper, a cook and two housemaids.
The Register of Nurses and the electoral registers show her listed until 1924 at 20 Upper Wimpole Street, London, W1. They show from 1925 to 1929 that whilst she and her husband were still practicing at 20 Upper Wimpole Street, their place of abode was 12 Barton Street, Dean's Yard, London, SW1. These registers show that from 1930 to 1938 they continued to live at 12 Barton Street, but the practice had moved to 39 Portland Place, London, W1.
In the 1939 England and Wales Register she is shown as a registered nurse living in the home of a Clara B. Myers at Dunningwell, Millom, Cumberland (now Cumbria), with her grand daughter-in-law, Barbara Fenwick née Wechselberger (1913-2004). (Barbara Fenwick was the wife of Arthur Richard Bedford Fenwick (1916-1955) who was the son of Christian Bedford Fenwick). The Register of Nurses shows her address between 1943 and 1946 was 19 Queen's Gate, London, SW7.
Probate records confirm that she had been living at The Vicarage, London Colney, St Albans, Hertfordshire and that she died, aged 90 years, on 13 March 1947. Her death was registered in the 1st quarter of 1947 in the St Albans Registration District and her ashes were buried on 9 April 1947 at St Helena's Church, Thoroton, Nottinghamshire. Probate was granted on 12 August 1947 jointly to Alice Stewart Glegg Bryson, a spinster and to her son who was still a barrister-at-law. Her effects totalled £4,303-3s-10d.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
