Ellen Margaret Alice Hardiment

Born 1916, died 2003
Assistant Nurse at Gressenhall Public Assistance Institution 1937-1941 & 1943-1946
Researched by Helen Bainbridge

Ellen Margaret Alice Hardiment was born on 8 June 1916 in East Dereham, Norfolk to Arthur Sewell Hardiment and Kate Alice Hayes (nee Head). The 1911 census shows that her father worked as a packer in the fretwork department of Hobbies and aresided in Baxters Row, East Dereham. She had 3 elder brothers, Henry born in 1908, Stanley born in 1910, Arthur born in 1913 and a younger sister, Phyllis born in 1922.

The 1921 census shows them all (except Phyllis), still living at Baxters Row, East Dereham, although her father’s occupation is now a Carpenter and Bricklayer, working for R G E Freer, Nurseryman. Crossed out is ‘Soldier’, 5th Rifles, East Dereham. Ellen is stated to be aged 5 and in full time education.

A journal kept by Ellen indicates that she commenced working at Gressenhall on 23 April 1933, however the first mention found of her is on 12 July 1937 when a letter was received by the Board of Guardians from Ellen, applying for a position of Assistant Nurse at Gressenhall Public Assistance Institution, where it was “…resolved that subject to a satisfactory Medical Report, this Committee recommend that…be appointed as assistant Nurse at this Institution as from 6th August next with salary according to Scale I/E, £30”.  The appointment was confirmed in the minutes of 9 August 1937, although a letter was also received from the County Medical Officer stating that he was unable to pass Ellen as medically fit for the purposes of the Local Government and other Officers Superannuation Act 1922, to which the House sub-Committee expressed their surprise and requested a further examination. At the meeting of 13 September 1937 Ellen was stated to be fit for the purposes of the Superannuation Act.

Ellen must have fulfilled her role satisfactorily as she received a pay rise on 1 April 1938 of 2 shillings and 10 pence per annum and another the following two consecutive years. However there seems to be a number of nurses who went off sick within days of eachother in late February 1939; Nurse Reynolds went off duty sick on 21 February 1939, Nurse Oldham went off duty sick on 24 February 1939 returning on 1 March 1939, Nurse Hardiment went off duty sick on 25 February 1939 returning on 5 March 1939, Nurse Arnell went off duty sick on 28 February 1939 returning on 8 March 1939 and Nurse Fitt went off sick on 1 March 1939. There is no indication of the reason for the sickness, but in the same minutes it is noted that there would also be a change to the nurses living arrangements.  The House sub-committee confirmed the “purchase of the following furniture for the additional nurse’s bedroom from Messrs H. H. Aldiss & Son of East Dereham” which included a bedroom suite, a bedstand, a wool mattress and a white cane tub chair at a cost of £8 9s and 9d. Further details can be found in the Inventory Book, where it states that one of the sick wards was being converted into two nurses bedrooms, one for Nurse Hardiment and one for Nurse Peacock. A little later, the sub-committee also proposed that additional nurses should be appointed being “rendered necessary by the revised hours of duty of nurses”, therefore indicating a reduction in working hours.

Nurse Ellen Hardiment is listed as a Nurse on the National Register for the workhouse, taken on 29 September 1939, which was subsequently used to produce identity and ration cards. By 11 August 1941 Ellen confirms she is leaving her employment with effect from 21 August 1941 (23 August 1941 in her diary). The reason for leaving was unknown, however she states that she started work at St Barnabas Hospital, Thetford on 24 August 1941. St Barnabas Hospital was the site of the Thetford Union workhouse which continued to operate until 1970.

Ellen resigned on 24 December 1941 and started working at the Woodlands Hospital in Norwich on 3 January 1942. A copy of a reference written by the Matron of Gressenhall Public Assistance Institution, Maria Nicholls dated 2 January 1942 confirms that Ellen worked there for 4 years as an assistant nurse and has “experience of nursing surgical and medical cases. She has shown herself to be a reliable nurse; she is keen & active; is tactful with the patients; her practical work is of a high standard”.  The Woodlands Hospital was Bowthorpe Road Workhouse, Norwich which, along with other workhouses changed its role to a Public Assistance Institution in 1930. The main building was destroyed by bombing by the Baedeker Blitz of World War Two and Ellen notes “Air Raid 27th April 1942. All nursing quarters destroyed. 28th April 1942 moved to Gressenhall with 26 patients 27th April 1942”. The Guardians minutes confirm that “on the 28th April, 28 patients were transferred to this institution from the Woodlands Hospital, Norwich as a result of enemy action”. The Guardians minutes indicate that there was some issues with the nurses who came with the patients as the Master is instructed to contact the Norwich Public Assistance Institution to state that “…if the two nurses who came to this Institution with the inmates…are removed as proposed the inmates must be removed as there is not staff here to look after them”.  Ellen states that on 27 October 1942 she and her patients moved to St James, Shipmeadow “on bus with patients”. Shipmeadow, Beccles, Suffolk was originally built as a House of Industry in 1767 and closed prior to the outbreak of the war.

Ellen married Thomas Barker in the East Dereham district in the June quarter of 1943. However she continued to work; she resigned her position at Shipmeadow on 18 September 1943 and returned to work at the Gressenhall Public Assistance Institution on 21 September 1943. The minutes of the 14 February 1944 confirm that Ellen was “granted 7 days leave to spend with her husband on leave from the Forces”. By the 11 April 1944 as an Assistant Nurse her salary increased from £75 to £85 per annum. Ellen submitted a letter to resign from 28 September 1945, but another set of minutes state that “Nurse E Barker ceased duties on 2nd. October 1945 and was re-engaged as a part-time Nurse from 3rd instant”. Minutes dated 10 December 1945 state that Ellen ceased duties entirely on 6 December 1945, however her own notes indicate that she left on 28 February 1946 and she registered the birth of her only child in the June quarter of 1946.

Ellen registered on the Nursing Assistant Roll by providing evidence of being an existing Assistant Nurse on 28 June 1946 giving her address as 3 Bittering Street, Gressenhall.

Further information regarding Ellen’s personal and working life or her use of nursing experience is currently not being investigated as she passed away in the relatively recently, in the 21st century.