Maud McCarthy
Encyclopedia
Dame Emma Maud McCarthy, GBE
, RRC
(22 September 1859, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
— 1 April 1949, Chelsea, London
, England
) was a nursing sister and army Matron-in-Chief. She was the eldest child of William Frederick McCarthy, a solicitor, and his Sydney-born wife, Emma Mary à Beckett. McCarthy was educated at Springfield College, Sydney, Australia, and passed with honours the University of Sydney
's senior examination. After her father's death in 1881 she helped her mother to rear her brothers and sisters
By 1891 she was in England. On 10 October 1891, she entered London Hospital, Whitechapel
, to begin general nursing training as a probationer. Hospital records state that "she had an exceptionally nice disposition" and was "most ladylike and interested in her work" although "she found it hard to control others, or to take firm action when necessary". She was nonetheless promoted to sister in January 1894.
Maud McCarthy was Nursing Sister-in-Charge of the Sophia Women's Ward at the outbreak of the Boer War
, and was one of the six sisters selected from London Hospital by Princess Alexandra to go to South Africa as her own "military" nursing sisters. Resigning from the hospital on 25 December 1899, McCarthy served with distinction throughout 1899-1902 with the Army Nursing Service Reserve, receiving the Queen's and the King's Medal and the Royal Red Cross
. Returning to England in July 1902, she was awarded a special decoration by Queen Alexandra. She then became involved in the formation of Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service, was promoted matron within the service in February 1903 and during the next seven years was successively matron of Aldershot, Netley and Millbank military hospitals. In 1910 she was appointed principal matron at the War Office, a position she held until the outbreak of World War I
.
Matron McCarthy sailed in the first ship to leave England with members of the British Expeditionary Force, arriving in France on 12 August 1914. In 1915 she was installed at Abbeville
as matron-in-chief of the B.E.F. in France
and Flanders
, taking charge of the whole area from the Channel to the Mediterranean, wherever British and allied nurses worked; she was directly responsible to General Headquarters. In August 1914 the numbers in her charge were 516; by the time of the Armistice they were over 6000. She was responsible for the nursing of hundreds of thousands of casualties from 1914 to 1918.
She was the only head of a department in the B.E.F. who remained in her original post throughout the war, although she was off-duty with appendicitis from March 1917 until August 1917. She was appointed GBE
in 1918, received a Bar to her Royal Red Cross and was awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal
, the Belgian Medaille de la Reine Elisabeth, and the French Légion d'honneur
and Medaille des Epidémies. When she left France on 5 August 1919, representatives from the French government and the medical services saw her off. The meticulous records kept since her arrival in France were taken to England with her.
Describing the matron-in-chief during the war, one general said: "She's perfectly splendid, she's wonderful … she's a soldier!… If she was made Quartermaster-General, she'd work it, she'd run the whole Army, and she'd never get flustered, never make a mistake. The woman's a genius." A contributor to the Sydney Morning Herald in 1914 referred to her as a "slight, delicately-organised woman" with "an absolutely wonderful gift for concentrated work, and a power of organisation that has made her invaluable in army hospital work". She was matron-in-chief of the Territorial Army Nursing Service from 1920 until her retirement in 1925.
on 1 April 1949, aged 89. A pastel portrait of her by Austin Spare hangs in the Imperial War Museum
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, RRC
Royal Red Cross
The Royal Red Cross is a military decoration awarded in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for exceptional services in military nursing.The award was established on 27 April 1883 by Queen Victoria, with a single class of Member...
(22 September 1859, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
— 1 April 1949, Chelsea, London
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) was a nursing sister and army Matron-in-Chief. She was the eldest child of William Frederick McCarthy, a solicitor, and his Sydney-born wife, Emma Mary à Beckett. McCarthy was educated at Springfield College, Sydney, Australia, and passed with honours the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
's senior examination. After her father's death in 1881 she helped her mother to rear her brothers and sisters
By 1891 she was in England. On 10 October 1891, she entered London Hospital, Whitechapel
Whitechapel
Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...
, to begin general nursing training as a probationer. Hospital records state that "she had an exceptionally nice disposition" and was "most ladylike and interested in her work" although "she found it hard to control others, or to take firm action when necessary". She was nonetheless promoted to sister in January 1894.
Maud McCarthy was Nursing Sister-in-Charge of the Sophia Women's Ward at the outbreak of the Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
, and was one of the six sisters selected from London Hospital by Princess Alexandra to go to South Africa as her own "military" nursing sisters. Resigning from the hospital on 25 December 1899, McCarthy served with distinction throughout 1899-1902 with the Army Nursing Service Reserve, receiving the Queen's and the King's Medal and the Royal Red Cross
Royal Red Cross
The Royal Red Cross is a military decoration awarded in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for exceptional services in military nursing.The award was established on 27 April 1883 by Queen Victoria, with a single class of Member...
. Returning to England in July 1902, she was awarded a special decoration by Queen Alexandra. She then became involved in the formation of Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service, was promoted matron within the service in February 1903 and during the next seven years was successively matron of Aldershot, Netley and Millbank military hospitals. In 1910 she was appointed principal matron at the War Office, a position she held until the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Matron McCarthy sailed in the first ship to leave England with members of the British Expeditionary Force, arriving in France on 12 August 1914. In 1915 she was installed at Abbeville
Abbeville
Abbeville is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Location:Abbeville is located on the Somme River, from its modern mouth in the English Channel, and northwest of Amiens...
as matron-in-chief of the B.E.F. in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, taking charge of the whole area from the Channel to the Mediterranean, wherever British and allied nurses worked; she was directly responsible to General Headquarters. In August 1914 the numbers in her charge were 516; by the time of the Armistice they were over 6000. She was responsible for the nursing of hundreds of thousands of casualties from 1914 to 1918.
She was the only head of a department in the B.E.F. who remained in her original post throughout the war, although she was off-duty with appendicitis from March 1917 until August 1917. She was appointed GBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1918, received a Bar to her Royal Red Cross and was awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal
Florence Nightingale Medal
The Florence Nightingale Medal is a medal instituted in 1912 by the International Committee of the Red Cross. It is the highest international distinction a nurse can achieve and is awarded to nurses or nursing aides for "exceptional courage and devotion to the wounded, sick or disabled or to...
, the Belgian Medaille de la Reine Elisabeth, and the French Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
and Medaille des Epidémies. When she left France on 5 August 1919, representatives from the French government and the medical services saw her off. The meticulous records kept since her arrival in France were taken to England with her.
Describing the matron-in-chief during the war, one general said: "She's perfectly splendid, she's wonderful … she's a soldier!… If she was made Quartermaster-General, she'd work it, she'd run the whole Army, and she'd never get flustered, never make a mistake. The woman's a genius." A contributor to the Sydney Morning Herald in 1914 referred to her as a "slight, delicately-organised woman" with "an absolutely wonderful gift for concentrated work, and a power of organisation that has made her invaluable in army hospital work". She was matron-in-chief of the Territorial Army Nursing Service from 1920 until her retirement in 1925.
Personal life
Never married, McCarthy died at her home at Chelsea, LondonChelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
on 1 April 1949, aged 89. A pastel portrait of her by Austin Spare hangs in the Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
.
Sources
- J. Piggott. Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing CorpsQueen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing CorpsQueen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps is the nursing branch of the British Army and part of the Army Medical Services....
(LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 1975) - Sydney Morning Herald report on Maud McCarthy (16 December 1914)
- Perdita M. McCarthy. McCarthy, Dame Emma Maud (1859–1949), Australian Dictionary of Biography, volume 10, Melbourne University Press, 1986, pp. 218–19
- Portrait at NPG website
- LINK ID profile
- Profile at Navy History website