Genealogy Chat

Can anyone tell me what this means ? There's a lodger in the house of one lot of rellies with this occupation along with my great grandmother and a 1 week old baby and I'm wondering if she was a midwife of some description. Mary

What year was this 1901? Later there would be two possible answers one Midwife but unlikely as the child is born. The other is Mental Subnormality Nurse. I dont have the early variations of Nursing catagories, but I did SEN (state enrolled nursing) and the sub of it MS (Mental Subnormality) Roll. Maybe the lady was suffering some from Post Natal Depression.

This was on the 1881 census. I suppose it could be that the 1 week old baby was nothing a member of the family as it states and maybe Eliza was expecting a baby at the time. Yet another one of the mysteries my rellies seem to keep throwing at me. Of course, it could be that the nurse was working nearby and just lodging there and its just me clutching at any straws. Mary

After my reply I wondered the same it is more likely the Nurse was just lodging there. In 1881 I dont think Women would have been Nursed at home if suffering from any sort of Depression, most likely put into the nearest Mental Institution, unless we are talking about Royality or the upper classes who could just employ a private Nurse to help the lady through. Maybe there is some info on the net on the old Nursing Catagories that would shed more light on this, and maybe you can find out what Hospitals were nearby. Good Luck. Pat

Seen this one before - I think it was Subsidiary Medical Service - included midwives I think.

Thanks to all of you - I know more than I did. I'll check what hospitals were nearby. I know the address was Parklers or Extons Lodge,Benefield, Northampton. Not somewhere I know and I come from Northamptonshire so I'll check it out. Bless you all Mary

hia could it be that sub m s was a shorthand way for them to write substitute milk source? just a thought.

http://www.mail-archive.*com/[email protected]/msg06874.html (remove *)

Tried that site Geoff but got Page not Displayed then the site but not with /london-l. Hate to appear a bit dense but I wasn't sure after looking at it what I was actutally looking for and how can I get the london-l part of it ? Mary

The power of Google found me this "Nurse SMS: Up until 1919 anyone could call themselves a Nurse. Putting Nurse SMS (Subsidiary Medical Services, ie anyone other than a properly qualified medical doctor) on a census form would have been an attempt to indicate that one was properly experienced and employed and not just the woman-up-the-road-who "did"."

She could have been a qualified Monthly Nurse. These were employed for the first month after the birth to care for the baby while the mother was "lying in"

Thanks for that. Geoff, when I go on to the web site you suggested what exactly am I looking for and how do I do it ? Mary

Sorry, I didn't spot the "AT" sign which was edited out http://www.mail-archive.*com/london-l*AT*rootsweb.com/msg06874.html (remove *s and replace AT with the symbol) It's a reply on a message board by someone who had written a book on Old Occupations.

Thanks Geoff - useful to know. Mary