Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1915-1988 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
12 boxes and 1 outsize box
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The British Women's Hospital Committee was formed by members of the Actresses' Franchise League in 1915. Its aim was fund-raising for Allied servicemen injured and disabled during the First World War. The money raised was used to build and partially endow the Star and Garter Homes for totally disabled men and to fund the Scottish Women's Hospitals. The Committee helped establish the Nation's Fund for Nurses (NFN) in 1917 and the Fund provided an endowment for the newly founded College of Nursing and a 'Tribute Fund' for the relief of individual nurses during sickness and disablement. A separate 'Nation's Tribute to Nurses in Ireland' (Irish Branch of the NFN) was established in 1918. Annie, Viscountess Cowdray, NFN Treasurer and Chairman of the Tribute Fund Committee, presented and furnished a Nurses' Club for the College of Nursing; the Cowdray Club closed in the 1980s. A home of rest at Bonchurch, Isle of Wight, presented to the College of Nursing by Sir John and Lady Martin Harvey and the NFN Committee, was officially opened in 1920. The administration of the Edith Cavell Homes of Rest for Nurses was handed over to the NFN in 1922. The NFN assumed the administration of the Queen Alexandra Relief Fund for War Nurses in 1922 and the Church of England Nurses' Guild in 1923. A Charity Commissioners' scheme established a Board of Management for the NFN, the Tribute Fund, the Queen Alexandra Relief Fund and the Church of England Nurses Guild, in 1930. The Tribute Fund Committee was then renamed the Relief Committee. The College of Nursing appointed a Nurses Appeal Committee to appeal for funds for the NFN through its journal, The Nursing Times, in 1931. The appeal was renamed 'The Royal College of Nursing Appeal for the Nation's Fund for Nurses', in 1955. The NFN took over administration of the Rest Breaks Fund for Nurses and Midwives and Snow's Charity for Female Nurses, in 1959, and of the Archer Convalescent Fund for Nurses in 1967. The NFN was administered by the Queen's Nursing Institute from 1980 to 1995.
Repository
Archival history
GB 0120 SA/NFN 1915-1988 Collection (fonds) 12 boxes and 1 outsize box Nation's Fund for Nurses
British Women's Hospital Committee
Edith Cavell Homes of Rest for Nurses
Archer House Home
Council for the Provision of Rest Breaks Houses for Nurses and Midwives
Fund for the Benefit of East Lancashire Nurses
Queen Alexandra Relief Fund for War Nurses
The British Women's Hospital Committee was formed by members of the Actresses' Franchise League in 1915. Its aim was fund-raising for Allied servicemen injured and disabled during the First World War. The money raised was used to build and partially endow the Star and Garter Homes for totally disabled men and to fund the Scottish Women's Hospitals. The Committee helped establish the Nation's Fund for Nurses (NFN) in 1917 and the Fund provided an endowment for the newly founded College of Nursing and a 'Tribute Fund' for the relief of individual nurses during sickness and disablement. A separate 'Nation's Tribute to Nurses in Ireland' (Irish Branch of the NFN) was established in 1918. Annie, Viscountess Cowdray, NFN Treasurer and Chairman of the Tribute Fund Committee, presented and furnished a Nurses' Club for the College of Nursing; the Cowdray Club closed in the 1980s. A home of rest at Bonchurch, Isle of Wight, presented to the College of Nursing by Sir John and Lady Martin Harvey and the NFN Committee, was officially opened in 1920. The administration of the Edith Cavell Homes of Rest for Nurses was handed over to the NFN in 1922. The NFN assumed the administration of the Queen Alexandra Relief Fund for War Nurses in 1922 and the Church of England Nurses' Guild in 1923. A Charity Commissioners' scheme established a Board of Management for the NFN, the Tribute Fund, the Queen Alexandra Relief Fund and the Church of England Nurses Guild, in 1930. The Tribute Fund Committee was then renamed the Relief Committee. The College of Nursing appointed a Nurses Appeal Committee to appeal for funds for the NFN through its journal, The Nursing Times, in 1931. The appeal was renamed 'The Royal College of Nursing Appeal for the Nation's Fund for Nurses', in 1955. The NFN took over administration of the Rest Breaks Fund for Nurses and Midwives and Snow's Charity for Female Nurses, in 1959, and of the Archer Convalescent Fund for Nurses in 1967. The NFN was administered by the Queen's Nursing Institute from 1980 to 1995.
Papers of the NFN entered the Wellcome Library in 1991 as part of the archive of the Queen's Nursing Institute (SA/QNI). More records were transferred to the Wellcome Library in 1997. Papers were received from the estate of Miss Margaret E McClean, a member of the NFN's Council from 1948-1988, following her death in 1998. Also at this time correspondence files were received from Thomas Whipham, Chairman of the Council from 1981-1998.
Papers of the Nation's Fund for Nurses, 1915-1988, comprising records of the British Women's Hospital Committee, 1915-1920; records of the Nation's Fund for Nurses, 1915-1988, including information on the dispute by Mrs Bedford Fenwick's Royal British Nurses' Association about the College of Nursing, details of the grants distributed by the Tribute Fund, records relating to Miss May Beeman, and records of the rest home at Bonchurch, Isle of Wight; records of the Edith Cavell Homes of Rest for Nurses, 1916-1984; records of the Archer House Home, 1919-1966; records of the Council for the Provision of Rest Breaks Houses for Nurses and Midwives, 1944-1958; records of the Fund for the Benefit of East Lancashire Nurses, 1918-1953; records of the Queen Alexandra Relief Fund for War Nurses, 1922-1979; records of the Elderly Nurses' Fund (Nursing Mirror Nurses and Midwives Fund), 1925-1979; and memorabilia relating to Annie, Viscountess Cowdray.
As outlined in Scope and Content.
Certain restrictions apply. The bulk of the papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking. Please note that access to several files (B.5, B.6 and B.23) is restricted for periods up to 2077. Readers wishing for access to such material may submit a formal application form to Archives and Manuscript staff: attention is particularly drawn to the rule that readers shall not publish or communicate to any other person the names or other particulars of individuals named in records which contain information of a private or sensitive nature.
Photocopies/photographs/microfilm are supplied for private research only at the Archivist's discretion. Please note that material may be unsuitable for copying on conservation grounds, and that photographs cannot be photocopied in any circumstances. Readers are restricted to 100 photocopies in twelve months. Researchers who wish to publish material must seek copyright permission from the copyright owner.
English
1 outsize box
The catalogue of this collection is not yet available in electronic format. Please see the hard-copy catalogue in the Wellcome Library. Copies of the catalogue are available on request.
Papers of the Queen's Nursing Institute which administered the NFN, 1980-1995, are held as SA/QNI.
The archives of the Royal College of Nursing contain correspondence on the setting up of the College of Nursing and related fund raising projects. Records of The Cowdray Club were given to the Greater London Record Office (now the London Metropolitan Archives) in the 1980s.
Compiled by Anya Turner.
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.
June 2008 Tribute Fund Cowdray , Viscountess , Annie , d 1932 x Pearson , nee Cass , Annie Nation's Fund for Nurses x British Women's Hospital Committee x Edith Cavell Homes of Rest for Nurses x Archer House Home x Council for the Provision of Rest Breaks Houses for Nurses and Midwives x Fund for the Benefit of East Lancashire Nurses x Queen Alexandra Relief Fund for War Nurses Beeman , May , fl 1918-1920 , fundraiser Fenwick , Ethel Gordon , 1857-1947 , Mrs Bedford Fenwick , née Manson , founder of British Nurses' Association x Manson , Ethel Gordon Financial resources Budget contributions Funds Midwifery Hospitals Finance Financing Fundraising Health services Medical institutions Building standards Building design Construction engineering World War One (1914-1918) Wars (events) World wars (events) Accommodation Housing Residential care homes Nursing Medical sciences College of Nursing Royal British Nurses Association Military nursing
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Papers of the NFN entered the Wellcome Library in 1991 as part of the archive of the Queen's Nursing Institute (SA/QNI). More records were transferred to the Wellcome Library in 1997. Papers were received from the estate of Miss Margaret E McClean, a member of the NFN's Council from 1948-1988, following her death in 1998. Also at this time correspondence files were received from Thomas Whipham, Chairman of the Council from 1981-1998.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Papers of the Nation's Fund for Nurses, 1915-1988, comprising records of the British Women's Hospital Committee, 1915-1920; records of the Nation's Fund for Nurses, 1915-1988, including information on the dispute by Mrs Bedford Fenwick's Royal British Nurses' Association about the College of Nursing, details of the grants distributed by the Tribute Fund, records relating to Miss May Beeman, and records of the rest home at Bonchurch, Isle of Wight; records of the Edith Cavell Homes of Rest for Nurses, 1916-1984; records of the Archer House Home, 1919-1966; records of the Council for the Provision of Rest Breaks Houses for Nurses and Midwives, 1944-1958; records of the Fund for the Benefit of East Lancashire Nurses, 1918-1953; records of the Queen Alexandra Relief Fund for War Nurses, 1922-1979; records of the Elderly Nurses' Fund (Nursing Mirror Nurses and Midwives Fund), 1925-1979; and memorabilia relating to Annie, Viscountess Cowdray.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
As outlined in Scope and Content.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Certain restrictions apply. The bulk of the papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking. Please note that access to several files (B.5, B.6 and B.23) is restricted for periods up to 2077. Readers wishing for access to such material may submit a formal application form to Archives and Manuscript staff: attention is particularly drawn to the rule that readers shall not publish or communicate to any other person the names or other particulars of individuals named in records which contain information of a private or sensitive nature.
Conditions governing reproduction
Photocopies/photographs/microfilm are supplied for private research only at the Archivist's discretion. Please note that material may be unsuitable for copying on conservation grounds, and that photographs cannot be photocopied in any circumstances. Readers are restricted to 100 photocopies in twelve months. Researchers who wish to publish material must seek copyright permission from the copyright owner.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Papers of the Queen's Nursing Institute which administered the NFN, 1980-1995, are held as SA/QNI.
Finding aids
The catalogue of this collection is not yet available in electronic format. Please see the hard-copy catalogue in the Wellcome Library. Copies of the catalogue are available on request.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
The archives of the Royal College of Nursing contain correspondence on the setting up of the College of Nursing and related fund raising projects. Records of The Cowdray Club were given to the Greater London Record Office (now the London Metropolitan Archives) in the 1980s.
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
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