Louise Wyatt

Florence Nightingale is synonymous with nursing in the Crimean War of 1854 -1856. There were, however, many other women who contributed to nursing at this time. Martha Clough, who dismissed the rule of Nightingale and took charge of nursing the Highland Regiments; Eliza Roberts, an experienced hospital surgical nurse who became Nightingale’s aide-de-camp, nursing Nightingale when she fell ill with Crimean Fever and those with a wider scope of caring, such as Mary Seacole, whose nutritious supplements and caring demeanour meant everything to the soldiers. This book focuses on the relationship between Nightingale and two very interesting characters: the irascible Betsy Cadwaladyr and the equally strong-willed Mother M. Francis Bridgeman, head of the nursing Irish Sisters of Mercy in the Crimea. Bridgeman came from a similar social standing as Nightingale but whose pathway saw her leaving society lifestyle as a young girl and following the convent life. Cadwaladyr earned Nightingale’s respect towards the end of her time in the Crimea due to her care of soldiers and her ability to run the kitchen at Balaklava, but nothing would change her stubborn dislike of Nightingale. The Sisters of Mercy, much overlooked in nursing history, were clinically nursing the victims of cholera and dysentery (two of the biggest killers in the Crimea) in their localities long before their journey to the battlefront. Betsy Cadwaladyr preferred domestic service and cooking to nursing, whilst Nightingale had the unenviable task of proving the nursing experiment to those watching from Westminster, trying not to upset the medical men as well as trying to filter out the best women to nurse with her, which was a nightmare in itself.

Edward I and his offspring, especially Edward II, are not shrouded by the mists of time. Edward I's two sons and daughter by his second marriage are lesser known, especially the eldest, Thomas Plantagenet of Brotherton. He made no particular impression on history, despite being Earl of Norfolk and Earl Marshal, but Thomas did father three children. Of these, only one is usually remembered: Margaret of Norfolk. Indomitable, defiant, respected and fiercely intelligent, she defied her cousin Edward III more than once and outlived most of her family. Her brother Edward of Norfolk died young but her sister, Alice of Norfolk, survived childhood. But not for long. In 1338, by the time she was fourteen, Alice was married to Sir Edward Montagu, younger brother of the famous earl of Salisbury, William Montagu and Bishop of Ely, Simon Montagu. Edward was a warrior knight at Crecy, involved in the wars with Scotland, loyal to his brother and his king. The marriage produced five children within a decade, but by 1350 Edward Montagu was showing his dark side and was part of the knightly criminal gangs that terrorised local areas. One day in June 1351, Alice of Norfolk paid the price. Despite being a Plantagenet, daughter of an earl, granddaughter, niece and cousin to kings, Alice of Norfolk has mostly been forgotten. Even looking at contemporary records, Alice hardly features apart from land and property dealings with her husband. A dusty reference to the unfortunate circumstances of her death marks the end of her life and one which will more than likely remain a mystery.

A History of Nursing explores the history of nursing by investigating the earliest records of the caring profession, how it progressed and what established it along the way to becoming the nursing we see today. It starts at the beginning of the story – how, once upon a time, all we had to depend on was Mother Nature. Over time, education and standards improved for the safety, development and governance of the profession. Not everything was plain sailing and the book introduces lesser-known people who made this possible, sometimes at great cost to themselves, and the effect military nursing had on the nineteenth century in turning nursing from religious principles to the secular nursing we see today. How did nursing go from being knowledge handed down through ancient scripts, folklore and sometimes by accident, to the degree-level, accountable practice of modern times? And why do nurses not wear hats anymore? A History of Nursing answers these questions and more.

Chepstow’s location by a crossing of the River Wye, close to the Severn Estuary, has meant that the Monmouthshire town has always occupied a strategically important position. A Norman castle still stands above the town and until the 1960s the road bridge across the river was a major route between Wales and England, as was Brunel’s Chepstow railway bridge across the Wye. Secret Chepstow explores the history of the town from its early origins as an Iron Age Welsh settlement on the border with the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, through the Norman invasion of the Welsh Marches and the construction of the castle, to the present day, revealing unusual stories, tucked-away historical buildings and remarkable characters along the way. It will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of this Monmouthshire town.