Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1920-1980 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1 box
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
M K Blyde was born at Hitchin, Hertfordshire, 30 March 1891. She served with distinction in the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) during World War One, and was mentioned in dispatches and awarded the Royal Red Cross (Second Class) (ARRC).
She trained as a nurse at King's College Hospital between 1919-1922 (gaining General Nursing Council registration in 1923), and on completion was appointed Sister of Fisk and Cheere Ward and Aural Theatre. She was known as Sister Mercia. Blyde worked as Assistant Matron at Norwich Hospital; Matron of West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds. In 1937 she was appointed Sister Matron at King's College Hospital 1937, a post which she held until 1947.
She also served on the Nursing Advisory Board and Selection Committee of the Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service; Executive Committee of the Association of Hospital Matrons and of the Joint Committee of Headmistresses and Hospital Matrons; and President of the King's College Hospital Nurses' League.
Blyde was a member of the Voluntary Nursing Advisory Board to His Majesty's Prison Commissioners; Chairman of the Ladies Committee of the 1930 Fund; the Selection Board of the Overseas' Nursing Association' Council and House Committee of the Cowdray Club; and the Nursing Advisory Committee to the British Red Cross Society. As well, she was a member of the Executive Committee of the National Council of Nurses of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the Committee of Management of the St Mary's Convalescent Home for Diabetics, Birchington-on-Sea; and Mrs Coward's Trained Nurses Co-operative Institute Committee.
She died in 1980.
Repository
Archival history
Acquired by King's College Hospital Nurses' League
GB 0100 KH/NL/PP4 1920-1980 Collection (fonds) 1 box Blyde , Margery Kathleen (Sister Mercia) , 1891-1980 , nurse
M K Blyde was born at Hitchin, Hertfordshire, 30 March 1891. She served with distinction in the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) during World War One, and was mentioned in dispatches and awarded the Royal Red Cross (Second Class) (ARRC).
She trained as a nurse at King's College Hospital between 1919-1922 (gaining General Nursing Council registration in 1923), and on completion was appointed Sister of Fisk and Cheere Ward and Aural Theatre. She was known as Sister Mercia. Blyde worked as Assistant Matron at Norwich Hospital; Matron of West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds. In 1937 she was appointed Sister Matron at King's College Hospital 1937, a post which she held until 1947.
She also served on the Nursing Advisory Board and Selection Committee of the Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service; Executive Committee of the Association of Hospital Matrons and of the Joint Committee of Headmistresses and Hospital Matrons; and President of the King's College Hospital Nurses' League.
Blyde was a member of the Voluntary Nursing Advisory Board to His Majesty's Prison Commissioners; Chairman of the Ladies Committee of the 1930 Fund; the Selection Board of the Overseas' Nursing Association' Council and House Committee of the Cowdray Club; and the Nursing Advisory Committee to the British Red Cross Society. As well, she was a member of the Executive Committee of the National Council of Nurses of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the Committee of Management of the St Mary's Convalescent Home for Diabetics, Birchington-on-Sea; and Mrs Coward's Trained Nurses Co-operative Institute Committee.
She died in 1980.
Acquired by King's College Hospital Nurses' League
Transferred to King's College London Archive, 1985.
Papers of Margery Kathleen Blyde comprising King's College Hospital certificates of invalid cookery, 21 Dec 1920; and completion of training 1922; General Nursing Council for England and Wales Certificate of General Registration, 16 Feb 1923; Brighton and Hove Hospital for Women and Children, certificate of attendance and instruction in midwifery, 14 Mar 1924; Central Midwives Board certificate, 9 Apr 1924; Membership of The College of Nursing, 19 Nov 1926;
humorous sketches of Sister Blyde and some of her patients, by F R Cornish, with accompanying letter, Feb 1925;
National Registration Identity card (with photograph), Aug 1940; Official Pass and Identity Card, Oct 1939; passports issued 1938 and 1967; USA Alien Registration Card [1947]; United States [of America] Departing Alien Income Tax Return, 1947;
certificate of vaccination against smallpox, 15 Apr 1947; International certificate of vaccination or revaccination against smallpox, 1969;
letters and memoranda relating to award of OBE, 1945 including also news cutting, reporting appointment, 14 Jun 1945;
invitation and papers for Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, 24 Jul 1962;
presentation album given to Blyde by members of the King's College Hospital Nurses' League, in appreciation of here service as Sister Matron, 1937-1947, containing names of League members and watercolours illustrations of flowers; presentation album from the staff at the Royal Eye Hospital, St George's Circus and Surbiton, containing the names of hospital staff; telegram conveying greetings for a reunion, 19 Jul 1947;
OBE medal, and letter from King George VI, regretting the award not being made personally, 9 Oct 1946; Defence Medal 1939-1945, and ribbons; badge of the Association of Hospital Matrons; General Nursing Council badge, 16 Feb 1923; badge of the Student Nurses Association; enamel AVF badge;
letters to Blyde relating to her retirement, from Lord Hambleden, Apr [1947]; Stella Tufton, 25 Mar 1947; Air Marshal Sir Andrew Grant, 18 Mar 1947; A S [Whittoch], Air Ministry, 29 Mar 1947;
letters to Blyde relating to her retirement from the Salisbury Hospital Group Management Committee, 1966;
ticket to the United States Senate Chamber visitors gallery, 15 Apr 1970;
Orders of service for funeral of Blyde, at St Michael, Teffont Evias, 21 Feb 1980; and Thanksgiving Service at King's College Hospital Chapel, 27 Apr 1980;
letter from Major General D H G Rice to P G C Blyde (nephew of M K Blyde) relating to donation of OBE medal to KCH, 31 Mar 1980;
black and white photographs including depicting members of the Nursing Advisory Board meeting, Sep 1941; Blyde with Evelyn Opie and M I Otway [1960s]; Blyde [attending the Festival of Britain, 1951]; Blyde with HRH Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent; portraits of Blyde; pet dog; [Garden Houses, King's College Hospital Denmark Hill]; Blyde with visitors to the Hospital;
Blyde's copy of Common disorders and diseases of childhood, G F Still, 3rd edition, Oxford Medical Publications, London, 1920
Arranged as outlined in the scope and content.
Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form.
Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Director of Archive and Corporate Record Services.
English
Detailed catalogue
Sources: The Register of Nurses, 1940, The General Nursing Council for England and Wales, London; King's College Hospital Nurses' League Journal No 23, 1947. Compiled by Alison Field
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal Place and Corporate Names 1997.
April 2004 Wars (events) Blyde , Margery Kathleen (Sister Mercia) , 1891-1980 , nurse George VI , 1895-1952 , King of Great Britain and Ireland International conflicts King's College Hospital , London Marina , 1906-1968 , Duchess of Kent, Princess of Greece and Denmark x Kent , Marina, Duchess of Medical personnel Medical profession Medical sciences Nursing Paramedical personnel Paramedical personnel training Personnel Surgery Vocational training subjects War World wars (events) World War Two (1939-1945) People by occupation People
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Transferred to King's College London Archive, 1985.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Papers of Margery Kathleen Blyde comprising King's College Hospital certificates of invalid cookery, 21 Dec 1920; and completion of training 1922; General Nursing Council for England and Wales Certificate of General Registration, 16 Feb 1923; Brighton and Hove Hospital for Women and Children, certificate of attendance and instruction in midwifery, 14 Mar 1924; Central Midwives Board certificate, 9 Apr 1924; Membership of The College of Nursing, 19 Nov 1926;
humorous sketches of Sister Blyde and some of her patients, by F R Cornish, with accompanying letter, Feb 1925;
National Registration Identity card (with photograph), Aug 1940; Official Pass and Identity Card, Oct 1939; passports issued 1938 and 1967; USA Alien Registration Card [1947]; United States [of America] Departing Alien Income Tax Return, 1947;
certificate of vaccination against smallpox, 15 Apr 1947; International certificate of vaccination or revaccination against smallpox, 1969;
letters and memoranda relating to award of OBE, 1945 including also news cutting, reporting appointment, 14 Jun 1945;
invitation and papers for Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, 24 Jul 1962;
presentation album given to Blyde by members of the King's College Hospital Nurses' League, in appreciation of here service as Sister Matron, 1937-1947, containing names of League members and watercolours illustrations of flowers; presentation album from the staff at the Royal Eye Hospital, St George's Circus and Surbiton, containing the names of hospital staff; telegram conveying greetings for a reunion, 19 Jul 1947;
OBE medal, and letter from King George VI, regretting the award not being made personally, 9 Oct 1946; Defence Medal 1939-1945, and ribbons; badge of the Association of Hospital Matrons; General Nursing Council badge, 16 Feb 1923; badge of the Student Nurses Association; enamel AVF badge;
letters to Blyde relating to her retirement, from Lord Hambleden, Apr [1947]; Stella Tufton, 25 Mar 1947; Air Marshal Sir Andrew Grant, 18 Mar 1947; A S [Whittoch], Air Ministry, 29 Mar 1947;
letters to Blyde relating to her retirement from the Salisbury Hospital Group Management Committee, 1966;
ticket to the United States Senate Chamber visitors gallery, 15 Apr 1970;
Orders of service for funeral of Blyde, at St Michael, Teffont Evias, 21 Feb 1980; and Thanksgiving Service at King's College Hospital Chapel, 27 Apr 1980;
letter from Major General D H G Rice to P G C Blyde (nephew of M K Blyde) relating to donation of OBE medal to KCH, 31 Mar 1980;
black and white photographs including depicting members of the Nursing Advisory Board meeting, Sep 1941; Blyde with Evelyn Opie and M I Otway [1960s]; Blyde [attending the Festival of Britain, 1951]; Blyde with HRH Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent; portraits of Blyde; pet dog; [Garden Houses, King's College Hospital Denmark Hill]; Blyde with visitors to the Hospital;
Blyde's copy of Common disorders and diseases of childhood, G F Still, 3rd edition, Oxford Medical Publications, London, 1920
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Arranged as outlined in the scope and content.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Director of Archive and Corporate Record Services.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Detailed catalogue
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
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Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal Place and Corporate Names 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English