Welcome to our dedicated page which celebrates the life of Ethel Gordon Fenwick (1857-1947), nurse and political campaigner who fought for over thirty years for the introduction of nurse registration and her significant contribution to the development of professional nursing in the UK. Born in Elgin, Scotland she was raised at Thoroton, Nottinghamshire and began her nursing career as a probationer at Nottingham Children’s Hospital in 1878. Throughout her life Fenwick maintained a close link with this area and her ashes are interred at the family grave at St Helena’s Church in Thoroton.
We intend to raise awareness of Fenwick’s pioneering work and her considerable
contribution to the legal recognition of the status of nurses as health care professionals. So far, we have uploaded some articles about her life and work, which can be viewed here.
There is additional information about her life at St Helena’s church in Thoroton, including the recently restored headstone marking her grave supported by the International Council of Nurses. There is also a commemorative bench in the church yard donated by the Royal British Nurses’ Association. The St Bartholomew’s Nurses League has funded commemorative plaques at locations associated with Fenwick including Nottingham Children’s Hospital, now located at The Queen’s Medical Centre, and St Helena’s Church.
The articles and resources were originally hosted on the website of Ethel Gordon Fenwick Commemorative Partnership, which was established in 2018 and completed awareness raising project in 2022.
Timeline
Teaching Aid for Pupils Aged 10-11
Who Was Ethel Gordon Fenwick? The First Nurse
James Shepherd outlines Ethel’s career and the fight for nurse registration. Click here to read.
Ethel Gordon Fenwick at Nottingham Children’s Hospital
Val Wood explores Ethel Gordon Fenwick’s time spent training at the Nottingham Children’s Hospital in 1878. Click here to read.
Ethel Gordon Fenwick’s life as a probationer at the Manchester Royal Infirmary.
Eileen Shepherd explores Ethel Gordon Fenwick’s life as a probationer at the Manchester Royal Infirmary. Click here to read.
Nottinghamshire Nursing History Group 