Mary Tattersall was the daughter of Leeds brewer and was one of the paid lady
nurses. She had been a district visitor, and then trained for three weeks at
Westminster before going to Scutarti. on receiving her first pay, she sent the
Westminster 5 pounds with a letter. She wanted to donate some of the first money
she ever earned, she said, to the hospital where she received so much kindness
as a student. Tattersall's untiring industry, her flinching from no menial
employment, 'her truth, judgement, faithfulness, discretion & entire
trustworthiness, her temperance in all things, even in flirting & her high
religious principles earned Nightingale's respect and esteem. She was a superb
worker. Nevertheless Nightingale did not use her for patient care, but as cook
and housekeeper for the female staff of the Scutari General Hospital. Source:
Nursing at the Crossroads, Part 1. Nursing Before Nightingale, 1815-1899
By
Carol Helmstadter, Judith Godden
d. 1893 Tattersall Mary 70Y
Grey River Argus, 20 September 1893, Page 2
DEATH. Tattersall — On the
19th September at the Grey River Hospital, Mary Tattersall, native of
Headingley, Leeds, England, and late of Greymouth, aged 70 years.
Evening Post, 2 May 1944, Page 8
DISCOVERY OF GRAVE - LINK WITH CRIMEA
A link between Greymouth and the Crimean War has been established by the
discovery of the grave in the Greymouth cemetery of Miss Mary Tattersall, one of
the original Florence Nightingale nurses. The daughter of a country clergyman in
England, Miss Tattersall went to the Crimea with Florence Nightingale after her
fiancé had been killed in action. At the end of her service she came to New
Zealand and resided at Greymouth, where for about 30 years she was a
professional nurse. In a letter to the matron of the Grey Hospital (Miss N.
Moffatt). Mr. William Noy, a former resident of Greymouth, recalled that in 1895
Miss Tattersall was buried at Greymouth. Steps have been taken by the Registered
Nurses' Association to restore the grave.
1865 - Miss Mary Tattersall resigned as matron, Timaru Hospital 13 Dec.
Timaru Herald, 26 January 1866, Page 2
PORT OF TIMARU.
SAILED. January
20 — Geelong, p.s., 137 tons, Hart, for Lyttelton, via intermediate ports.
Passengers—Miss Beswick and Miss Tattersall.
Lyttelton Times, 22 January 1866, Page 4 Shipping
LYTTELTON. arrived. Jan.
21— Geolong, p.s., 137 tons, Hart, from Dunedin, via intermediate ports.
Passengers - Miss Beswick, Miss Tattersall, Mr. Scarborough.
The letter sent to the Westminster Hospital with the five pounds, was actually from Miss Nightingale. See Lynn McDonald's Florence Nightingale: Collected Works vol 14 p.213.
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