Millicent Plumb

Born 1878, died 1936
Superintendent Nurse at Mitford and Launditch Union Workhouse, 1905
Researched by Dauna Coppin

Millicent Plumb was born in the June Quarter of 1878 in Swanwick, Belper, Derbyshire. Her parents were Noah and Hannah (née Holmes) who married in Basford, Nottinghamshire, in 1867. No Baptism for Millicent could be found, and it was believed the family were of the Baptist faith.

In 1881, the family lived in Chapel Lane, Derby Road, in Alfreton, Derbyshire. Noah worked as a hosier and employed 12 men. They had six children, four girls and two boys, aged between 13 years and 1 month; Millicent was the second youngest. The 1891 census showed the family were at the same address. Most of the children were in employment and Millicent, aged 13, worked as a framework knitter.

Some few years later, Millicent was working as a nurse. Initially, she was trained as a probationer nurse at West Ham Infirmary, where she was recorded on the census of 1901 aged 22. Just prior to this, Millicent had been working, possibly as a children’s trainer, for Belper Union Workhouse. A notice in the Belper News and Mid Derbyshire Mail, in March 1900,  mentioned that the Board of Guardians had written her a testimonial: “An application having been read from Millicent Plumb, for a testimonial, it was readily granted.” Millicent was eventually promoted to Staff Nurse in the West Ham Infirmary and returned to Belper to work in a similar position for the Derby Board of Guardians.

In 1905, Millicent accepted an appointment as Superintendent Nurse for the Mitford and Launditch Union Workhouse Infirmary. This was recorded by the British Journal of Nursing in July 1905: “Miss Millicent Plumb has been appointed Superintendent Nurse at the Mitford and Launditch Workhouse Infirmary. She was trained at the West Ham Infirmary, where she subsequently held the position of Staff Nurse. She has also held the position of Staff Nurse under the Derby Board of Guardians.”

The Guardian’s received a letter in reply to their query regarding her Superannuation contributions. October 1905, from the Derby Union Poor Law Officer, to say that no previous deductions had been made into a pension fund and they presumed she had opted out of it in her previous employment at West Ham: “Miss Plumb did not contract out of the Superannuation Act whilst in this Union, but as we were under the impression that  she had previously done so, we did not make any from her salary in respect of Superannuation.” This could, of course mean that Millicent had assumed deductions had been made, in which case she would be owed some contributions from the Derby Union.

From the beginning of her time at Gressenhall, Millicent was immediately involved in a death of a patient she was caring for. It was reported in the Norfolk News on 12th August 1905:“Millicent Plumb, Head nurse at infirmary said that when deceased was admitted, she had a large bed sore, the result of previous neglect. She got weaker every day  and died on Monday. Deceased complained more of the bed sore than she did from the fracture and, in witness’ opinion, both the fracture and the bed sore accelerated her end”. The verdict was death caused by senile decay and a fracture; no mention of the bed sore, which Millicent had thought important.

Millicent had also gained a Midwife qualification on 24th July 1903 and was listed on the Midwives role over the following few years, as she moved around with her employment. In 1910, her address was shown as 13 Wilkinson Street, Sheffield. The following year, she was working as a private nurse and visiting a house in Wath upon Dearne, near Rotherham, with the Smith family, who had two very young children aged 1 year and 1 month. The 1911 census showed she was 32 years old and single.

In the September Quarter 1915, Millicent moved back to Norfolk where she married Ernest Withers, the local Registrar of Births and Deaths, in Swaffham. He was a widower, with three children, whose wife had died in 1914.

Millicent was not working in 1921. She and Ernest lived with the children at 17 Providence Terrace, Swaffham where 43-year-old Millicent’s occupation was Home Duties, looking after three children aged 14, 11 and 9 years old.

Millicent died aged 58, on 8th September 1936. She was laid to rest on 12th September in Swaffham Cemetery, following a service in the Baptist Church. She was a respected member of the community. She was a member of the church committee and the choir, along with her husband and stepdaughter. Another passion was breeding and showing Cairn terriers, being quite successful at the local dog shows.