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Picture courtesy of DNW

RRC GV
Kaisar-i-Hind, GV 2nd Class, 2nd type,
QSA (0) (Nursing Sister M. L. Harris.);
KSA (0) (Nursing Sister M. L. Harris.);
BWM (A. Matron M. L. Harris);
Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service Badge

RRC London Gazette 23 February 1917.

Mary Louise Harris trained at the Royal Free Hospital and enrolled in the Princess Christian's Army Nursing Service Reserve on 30 June 1899, being given the number ‘23’. She served in South Africa at No. 2 General Hospital at Pretoria, No. 3 General Hospital at Kroonstadt and at No. 8 General Hospital at Bloemfontein. She was Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette, 10 September 1901) and awarded the Queen's and King's Medals without clasps. In July, 1903 she was selected for Q.A.I.M.N.S. in the rank of Staff Nurse and was promoted Sister on 10 November 1904. During the 1914-18 War she was acting Matron throughout and served overseas in Malta, arriving there on 7 May 1915 (therefore entitled to the British War Medal only). She was awarded the Royal Red Cross, 1st Class, in 1917, whilst serving as Acting Matron, Military Hospital, Felixstowe. She was promoted Matron on 8 April, 1922 and retired from the service in the following year. The award of the Kaisar-i-Hind has not been confirmed.

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QSA (0) (Nursing Sister J. Bradbury.) naming officially re-impressed;

Together with a small Continental 14-carat gold hunter fob watch, the white enamel dial with black Roman numerals, the case with foliate engraved decoration, presentation inscription to the cuvette ‘Presented to Nurse Bradbury by Officers, Non Coms & Men B.M.R. Ladysmith Siege 1900’, on 9-carat 3-row chain fob terminating in a citrine set fob seal.

The watch is not currently in working order.

Nursing Sister Elizabeth (Lily) White Gray was born on 30 June 1868, her father, Henry, was 44, and her mother, Sarah Jane (nee McClinton), was 38. She had four brothers and four sisters. She died on 19 October 1938, in Gravesend, Kent at the age of 70. When she was born, the family lived in Broughton, Lancashire (1871 census).


Elizabeth White Gray

Her eldest sister Sarah Ann who was born in 1856 died in 1889 in in Chorlton, Lancs. Her elder sister, Mary Jane who was born in 1857 died on 22 March 1902 in Kingston Upon Thames, Middlesex. Her brother John who was born in 1861, died on 22 October 1925, in West Kirby, Cheshire (3 Townfield Rd., West Kirby, Wirral, Cheshire). Her sister Henrietta (Ettie) who was born in 1864 died on 5 May 5 1928, in Surrey. Her brother, Henry Stuart (09/1872–1948) who later lived in Greater Manchester, Lancs. Her Father died in Bangor, Down, Northern Ireland at 59 years old in 1883 and her mother Sarah Jane passed away in 1922 in Manchester, Lancashire at the age of 92.

Lilly was a nurse and qualified at the Royal Hospital, Salford on 7 May 1897. She joined the Princess Christian’s Nursing Service Reserve, and her personnel number was 555. (AO365). In July 1901 she was at No. 5 General Hospital Wynberg, S. Africa and in September 1901 she was at No. 12 General Hospital in Springfontein, S. Africa (A1598). She later served at No. 13 General Hospital, Wynberg, S Africa (AO 365). She is listed on the QSA Medal roll dated September 1901 in Springfontein (TNA WO100/229 p. 163) and on the KSA Medal Roll (TNA WO100/353 p.28). There were only 587 KSAs awarded to nurses. QSA and KSA are both officially named to Nursing Sister E Gray (not officially re-impressed as often found).

The 1911 census shows that Lilly, as a single 42-year old head of the house, was living in Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey with her 80-year old mother Sarah Jane Gray and a single 42-year old servant, Mary Ann Shaw, who is the domestic general servant. Lilly’s occupation is “Hospital Nurse & Masseuse, QANR”. Her address was Broomlace, Latchmere Rd. Kingston Upon Thames, a house with seven (7) rooms

In WWI, Elizabeth Gray was in the Territorial Force Nursing Service / Queen Alexandra's Imperial Nursing Service. Her start date was 1 January 1914 and her end date was 31 December 1920. (WO399/23277) She was awarded the BWM, Victory and TFWM. She arrived in France & Flanders on 29/05/1917 (WO372/23) There were only 277 TFWM issued to nurses.




Due to this site, I have reunited all of Sister Elizabeth Gray's medals except her WWI Victory. An enormous thanks to Chris who was willing to part with them and who contacted me via this site! : ) If Any one knows where Elizabeth Gray's Victory is located please contact me as I would like to reunite it with the group.

Elizabeth (Lilly) White Gray died on October 19, 1938, at the Gravesend and North Kent Hospital in Gravesend when she was 70 years old. She had been living at 1 the Drive, Hill Side Old Road, East Gravesend, Kent. There is a probate record dated 20 December 1938 in which she left L1,360. 6s 2d to her spinster sister Margret Gray. She was interned in consecrated ground C 4735 on 22 October 1938 at the Kingston cemetery.

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The Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Serving Sister’s shoulder badge, 1st type (1892-1939), circular silver badge with white enamel cross with heraldic beasts in angles raised above the background, the reverse engraved ‘Miss C. A. Nicolson 1901’, on lady’s bow riband;
QSA (0) (Nursing Sister C. A. Nicolson.);
KSA (0) (Nursing Sister C. A. Nicholson [sic].);
Kimberley Star 'a' with integral top riband bar, this engraved ‘C. A. Nicolson’

Miss Christina Anne Nicolson served with the Kimberley Civil Hospital in South Africa during the Boer War.

QSA (0) (Nuring Sister N Currie)

She served in the Frontier Hospital, Queenstown as Nesta Currie.

Gary Brown Medals. £395.

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QSA (0) (Nursing Sister J. E. Mount.);
King’s South Africa 1901-02, (0) (Nursing Sister J. E. Mount.);
Maidstone Typhoid Medal 1897, silver (J. Mount)

Jesse Etna Mount trained at the Royal United Hospital, Bath. She is confirmed as being one of the nurses on the Maidstone Corporation Staff engaged in the town in connection with the typhoid epidemic in 1897, for which she was presented with the medal. She was enrolled in Princess Christian’s Army Nursing Service Reserve as No. 113 on 30 October 1899, and served in South Africa during the Boer War.

A major epidemic of Typhoid Fever broke out in Maidstone, Kent during late August 1897. By 9 September, 117 cases had been reported, rising to 774 by the end of the month and by 9 October the number had risen to 1,200, with 42 deaths. The cause was never fully identified but the reservoir at Barming, the spring at Tutsham, and various pumping stations were all found to be contaminated - all this compounded by the poor sewage system then in operation at Maidstone. In the highly charged atmosphere of the times, irresponsibly defecating hop-pickers also were blamed for the outbreak! The Town Council also came in for some criticism in having, as an economy measure, reduced the number of times a year the water purity was tested. In response to the outbreak, suspect water supplies were cut and Barming Reservoir was chlorinated. The Town Council issued handbills to the townspeople recommending the boiling of all drinking water and a free laundry was opened for the washing of all clothes and bedding from infected households; these same houses were then thoroughly disinfected. Emergency hospitals were opened, and such was the need, that doctors and nurses from outside the area were brought in to tend to the sick and dying. A subscription to help the poorer townsfolk was also opened. By rigourous methods the epidemic was brought under control, and by the end of December it was largely over; the total number of reported cases being 1,847, with 132 deaths.

Medals were awarded to the nursing staff who served in the town during the epidemic. Many, including Nurse J. Mount, were presented by the Mayor of Maidstone at a special ceremony held at the Museum and Technical School on Wednesday 8 December 1897; an account of the presentation being given in the South Eastern Gazette of 14 December 1897. Some 700 people attended the presentation, including members of the Town Council, Magistrates, Clergy and other people of note. The Mayor of Maidstone (Councillor J. Barker) gave a speech before the presentation, paraphrased by the newspaper, ‘... While they must be filled with regret for those who had been taken away ... it was a matter of congratulation to know that the epidemic which overtook them three months ago, had been stamped out thanks to the efforts of their Medical Officer, the medical men of the town, and ... through the sturdy and gallant conduct of every inhabitant of Maidstone ... and, in addition to the help received from the residents in the town and neighbourhood, they had an army of trained nurses to assist them. ... He now wished on the part of every inhabitant of the borough of Maidstone, ... to thank the nurses who had assisted them during their great trouble ... and he was going to ask them to accept a small medal as a token of esteem for the work they had done ...’