Matron Jessie Hume CONGLETON R.R.C.

Jessie Hume CONGLETON; born 12 November 1872 in Newport, Fife; educated at Dundee High School, and trained as a nurse at Dundee Royal Infirmary between 1896 and 1899.

Jessie Congleton was appointed as a Staff Nurse in Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service in September 1906, and promoted to the rank of Nursing Sister in April 1914. She was awarded the Royal Red Cross, First Class, in June 1915, and was also mentioned in Army Orders in early 1916 ‘for conspicuous bravery during a fire at No.14 Stationary Hospital.’ 

This is her Record of Service which shows both her award of the RRC and that she was mentioned in army orders for conspicuous bravery during a fire at No. 14 Stationary Hospital. <   Click on the image to enlarge.

Here's a photo of Matron Jessie Congleton (right) on the steps of No.32 Stationary Hospital, Wimereux (formerly the Australian Voluntary Hospital) together with Lady Murray. This is taken from a larger image which Sue Light has kindly allowed me to 'borrow' from an item posted on her This Intrepid Band blog on 22 July 2013. Click here to view.

The information above was kindly provided by Sue Light.

Sister Congleton, as she was when Edie writes about her, was clearly a close associate of Edie's and one passage in the diaries which mentions her is one of the most telling and memorable. It can be seen on 31 July 1915 in Volume 2.1.

She retired from QAIMNS in March 1924, and died on 20 April 1932. Here is the notice of her death in the British Journal of Nursing for May 1932 (page 134):

THE PASSING BELL.

Miss Jessie Hume Congleton, R.R.C.

We regret to report the death of Miss Jessie Hume Congleton, R.R.C., a retired matron of Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Nursing Service, who died on Wednesday, 20^th April, at Tigh-na-Mara, Campamento, Spain. The eldest daughter of the late Mr. Thomas Congleton, Sheriff Clerk of Forfarshire, she served in the South African War, and went to France in the Great War with the first unit from Millbank Hospita1, where she had served for five years. She was matron of the 32nd Base Hospital at Boulogne, and was awarded the Royal Red Cross for her services. She had a strong character and an outstanding personality, and her loss will be felt by a large circle of friends and colleagues to whom she had greatly endeared herself.

See the names index for dates on which she is mentioned in Edie's diaries.

Update 30 July 2013

Sue Light has an item on her blog entitled 'The Aristocrats' which includes a photo of Matron Congleton with Lady Murray on the steps of No.32 Stationary Hospital, Wimereux (formerly the Australian Voluntary Hospital). Click here to view.

Update 22 November 2011:
Ann Etheridge in the USA, who is a collector of mourning jewellery, photography, and ephemera, as well as a historic researcher, has been in touch to share a letter she has which records Jessie Congleton's death in Gibraltar in April 1932. The letter was written by Alice Congleton to her cousin Emily Hume in Allentown, Pennsylvania. You can see it here. 

If you are a descendant or have more information about this colleague of Edie's we would like to hear from you.  Please use the Visitor's Book.


 

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