Collection GB 0074 A/NFC - NIGHTINGALE FUND COUNCIL

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0074 A/NFC

Title

NIGHTINGALE FUND COUNCIL

Date(s)

  • 1832-1977 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

3.36 linear metres

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

On Nov. 9th, 1855 a public meeting was held in Willis's Rooms, King Street, St James to inaugurate a public subscription in gratitude for Florence Nightingale's work in the Crimean War. £44,000 was raised, the Nightingale Fund Council was set up to administer this fund, and on March 13th 1860, A. H. Clough wrote on behalf of the Nightingale Fund Council to the President, Treasurer and Governors of Saint Thomas' Hospital about the possibility of founding a training school for nurses at the hospital. This was Florence Nightingale's idea as to how the fund could best be used.

The first fifteen Probationers arrived on July 9th 1860. They were paid a salary of £10 during the one year's course, with board and lodging provided. At the end of the year, if they were approved, they were entered on the Register of Certified Nurses, and employment was found for them. If they stayed in employment for a complete year after their training they could earn gratuities of £3 and £5. Instruction during the course was mainly practical, with the Probationers working in the hospital wards under close supervision. Considerable emphasis was placed on high moral character. From 1867 there were two classes of entry to the school: 1) Ordinary Probationers, who entered on the basis of a small salary and free board, as above and 2) Lady Probationers or Special probationers. These were trained specially for posts as Superintendents and Matrons of other institutions on completion of their training. They paid a sum of £30 for the year's tuition, and board and lodging.

One of the particular features of the Nightingale Training School was that nurses were trained not merely for Saint Thomas' Hospital, but with the clear intention that they be sent out in groups to other institutions to undertake nursing reform. The school had only been open two years when the first group went to Liverpool Royal Infirmary, and subsequent groups went as far as Canada and Australia, as well as to many British hospitals.

Archival history

GB 0074 A/NFC 1832-1977 Collection 3.36 linear metres Nightingale Fund Council

On Nov. 9th, 1855 a public meeting was held in Willis's Rooms, King Street, St James to inaugurate a public subscription in gratitude for Florence Nightingale's work in the Crimean War. £44,000 was raised, the Nightingale Fund Council was set up to administer this fund, and on March 13th 1860, A. H. Clough wrote on behalf of the Nightingale Fund Council to the President, Treasurer and Governors of Saint Thomas' Hospital about the possibility of founding a training school for nurses at the hospital. This was Florence Nightingale's idea as to how the fund could best be used.

The first fifteen Probationers arrived on July 9th 1860. They were paid a salary of £10 during the one year's course, with board and lodging provided. At the end of the year, if they were approved, they were entered on the Register of Certified Nurses, and employment was found for them. If they stayed in employment for a complete year after their training they could earn gratuities of £3 and £5. Instruction during the course was mainly practical, with the Probationers working in the hospital wards under close supervision. Considerable emphasis was placed on high moral character. From 1867 there were two classes of entry to the school: 1) Ordinary Probationers, who entered on the basis of a small salary and free board, as above and 2) Lady Probationers or Special probationers. These were trained specially for posts as Superintendents and Matrons of other institutions on completion of their training. They paid a sum of £30 for the year's tuition, and board and lodging.

One of the particular features of the Nightingale Training School was that nurses were trained not merely for Saint Thomas' Hospital, but with the clear intention that they be sent out in groups to other institutions to undertake nursing reform. The school had only been open two years when the first group went to Liverpool Royal Infirmary, and subsequent groups went as far as Canada and Australia, as well as to many British hospitals.

Records deposited in three accessions, in 1968, 1970 and 1975.

Records of the Nightingale Fund Council, including deeds of trust; minutes; correspondence; annual reports; papers relating to St Thomas's Hospital; regulations; financial accounts; fundraising accounts; agreements; registers, prospectuses and syllabi of the Nightingale Training School; papers relating to the registration of nurses and nursing in general.

Also papers of the City Auxiliary Committee of the Nightingale Fund, comprising minutes, correspondence and accounts; and papers of Albert Venn Dicey (a jurist and Professor of Law at Oxford).

A/NFC-1: Administration;
A/NFC-2: Finance;
A/NFC-3: Nightingale Training School;
A/NFC-4: Staff;
A/NFC-5: Related Documentation;
A/NFC-6: City Auxiliary Committee;
A/NFC-7: General.

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information may be subject to access restrictions.

Copyright to these records rests with the depositor.

English

Fit

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

See also H01/ST/NTS (Nightingale Training School).

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 to August 2010. Paramedical personnel Medical charities Finance Financing Fundraising Organizations Associations Charitable trusts Charities Charitable organisations Medical profession Nurses Medical personnel Higher science education Medical education Nursing education Information sources Documents Charity records People People by occupation Personnel Budget contributions Dicey , Albert Venn , 1835-1922 , jurist and constitutional scholar Nightingale , Florence , 1820-1910 , reformer of hospital nursing Nightingale Fund Council Nightingale Training School , St Thomas's Hospital St Thomas' Hospital , London x Infirmary of the Augustinian Priory of St Mary Overy , 1106-1215 x 5th London (City of London) General Hospital , 1915-1919 Southwark London England UK Western Europe Europe Medical sciences Nonprofit organizations

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Records deposited in three accessions, in 1968, 1970 and 1975.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of the Nightingale Fund Council, including deeds of trust; minutes; correspondence; annual reports; papers relating to St Thomas's Hospital; regulations; financial accounts; fundraising accounts; agreements; registers, prospectuses and syllabi of the Nightingale Training School; papers relating to the registration of nurses and nursing in general.

Also papers of the City Auxiliary Committee of the Nightingale Fund, comprising minutes, correspondence and accounts; and papers of Albert Venn Dicey (a jurist and Professor of Law at Oxford).

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

A/NFC-1: Administration;
A/NFC-2: Finance;
A/NFC-3: Nightingale Training School;
A/NFC-4: Staff;
A/NFC-5: Related Documentation;
A/NFC-6: City Auxiliary Committee;
A/NFC-7: General.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information may be subject to access restrictions.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright to these records rests with the depositor.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

See also H01/ST/NTS (Nightingale Training School).

Finding aids

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

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

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area