State Registered Nurse and community Midwife
My maternal grandmother
1877 June 6 Rosa was born at the following hotel which her father managed; her mother was Rebecca Elizabeth Barrett nee Harrison
1881 Census The family (of 10) were living at the Cheshire Cheese Hotel, Doncaster.
1891 Census. Rosa 14 at 36 Silver Street, Doncaster, annex of the St. Leger public house.
1901 Census. Rosa, 23 and single, lived at 14 Robert Street, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester with parents.
1901 July Registered with London Obstetrical Society. (L.O.S.)
1905 March Registered with Central Midwives Board (C.M.B. 17945). Believed to have qualified Withington Hospital.
1905 April 22 Married Walter Hellings (engineer). They were both residing at 86 Cottenham Street, Chorlton-on-Medlock.
1905 Q4 Son Herbert was born.
1907 Dec 20 Son Herbert died age 2 at Monsall Hospital, Newton Heath (following 34 days with enteritis).
1908 Apr 9 Husband, Walter died of tubercolosis due to small-pox at 378 Rochdale Road, Collyhurst, Manchester
Rosa Susannah Hellings (nee Barrett) c.1920
and daughter Dora Phillips
1911
The Census
shows Rosa as a widow and 'head' of the house at 4 Hallville
Road,
Poulton-cum-Seacombe, and her occupation
as a
"Trained Nurse". Stewart Hay
Phillips (my mother's father)
shop manager was enumerated in
the household as "Boarder".
1911 Aug 15, daughter, Dora Phillips was born at Seacombe, Birkenhead
1911 - 1919 at some time in this period the family moved across the river Mersey to Liverpool.
1919 The family moved again, this time away from Liverpool to live at 64 Mawson Street, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester. (nr Ardwick Green)
1919 For reference only. It was this year, on Dec 23rd, that the Nurses Act received the Royal Assent. The battle for the Nurses Act was fought by Mrs Ethel Gordon Fenwick and her supporters which was to some extent a part of the political struggle of women's suffrage.
1920 Nov 18, date of letter from C.M.B. (Central Midwives Board) informing Rosa that she had been struck off the Midwives Roll, and her Certificate to practice was cancelled. The reason given was her cohabitation with "the man Phillips", father of her only child Dora, to whom she was not married.
Then almost a year later :
1921 Oct 18, date of letter from C.M.B. informing Rosa that her name had been restored to the Midwives Roll, and that her new Certificate would follow, this was on condition she "cease to cohabit with the man Phillips".
(What a draconian procedure when seen from the early 21st century.) Webmaster has facsimile copies of all letters which passed between C.M.B. and Rosa throughout the above 1920-21 proceedings.
1923 Nov. 16 Rosa was added to Register for Nurses : Reg. no. 24494 ( see 1919, Mrs Fenwick etc ). And she moved with her daughter to 25 Bosworth Street, Openshaw, Manchester. (Probably leaving "the man Phillips" behind, still at the previous address.)
1929 Kelly's Directory of Manchester and Salford and suburbs, page 1790, "Midwives \ Hellings, Rosa, 25 Bosworth St."
1935 July 28, her daughter Dora's first born (webmaster) delivered by Rosa, at 25 Bosworth St.
1937 Rosa (60) moved with partner Stewart from Openshaw to manage an off-licence of Hydes Queen's Brewery in Whalley Range, Manchester. Up to this time Rosa continued to practice as a community midwife, and the webmaster can remember that in the 1940s her 'tool-box', a Gladstone bag containing the tools and chemicals of her profession was still in the attic of the shop. It was embossed "Nurse Hellings SRN". They were very happy there for eleven years until the death of Stewart at Christmas 1948.
1949
January, Rosa moved to live with daughter Dora and her family at 21
Broadstone Rd,
Reddish, Stockport
1952 Feb 10, she died aged 74, and was cremated at Stockport Crematorium, Stockport, Cheshire.
Rosa's enamel badge
The Midwives Institute was forerunner of
The Royal College of Midwives
The Latin motto Vita Donum Dei = Life is the gift of God
This heirloom bracelet belonged to Rosa.
It is hallmarked for the year Dora was born, 1911.
In the name of simplicity, data sources in general are omitted,
so you will have to trust me.
1911 Aug 15, daughter, Dora Phillips was born at Seacombe, Birkenhead
1911 - 1919 at some time in this period the family moved across the river Mersey to Liverpool.
1919 The family moved again, this time away from Liverpool to live at 64 Mawson Street, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester. (nr Ardwick Green)
1919 For reference only. It was this year, on Dec 23rd, that the Nurses Act received the Royal Assent. The battle for the Nurses Act was fought by Mrs Ethel Gordon Fenwick and her supporters which was to some extent a part of the political struggle of women's suffrage.
1920 Nov 18, date of letter from C.M.B. (Central Midwives Board) informing Rosa that she had been struck off the Midwives Roll, and her Certificate to practice was cancelled. The reason given was her cohabitation with "the man Phillips", father of her only child Dora, to whom she was not married.
Then almost a year later :
1921 Oct 18, date of letter from C.M.B. informing Rosa that her name had been restored to the Midwives Roll, and that her new Certificate would follow, this was on condition she "cease to cohabit with the man Phillips".
(What a draconian procedure when seen from the early 21st century.) Webmaster has facsimile copies of all letters which passed between C.M.B. and Rosa throughout the above 1920-21 proceedings.
1923 Nov. 16 Rosa was added to Register for Nurses : Reg. no. 24494 ( see 1919, Mrs Fenwick etc ). And she moved with her daughter to 25 Bosworth Street, Openshaw, Manchester. (Probably leaving "the man Phillips" behind, still at the previous address.)
1929 Kelly's Directory of Manchester and Salford and suburbs, page 1790, "Midwives \ Hellings, Rosa, 25 Bosworth St."
1935 July 28, her daughter Dora's first born (webmaster) delivered by Rosa, at 25 Bosworth St.
1937 Rosa (60) moved with partner Stewart from Openshaw to manage an off-licence of Hydes Queen's Brewery in Whalley Range, Manchester. Up to this time Rosa continued to practice as a community midwife, and the webmaster can remember that in the 1940s her 'tool-box', a Gladstone bag containing the tools and chemicals of her profession was still in the attic of the shop. It was embossed "Nurse Hellings SRN". They were very happy there for eleven years until the death of Stewart at Christmas 1948.
Hydes off-licence
18 Greame
St, Moss-Side, Manchester
Very large premises including attics and cellars, and was a wonderful playground.
Photograph by the webmaster, c.1947
Very large premises including attics and cellars, and was a wonderful playground.
Photograph by the webmaster, c.1947
1952 Feb 10, she died aged 74, and was cremated at Stockport Crematorium, Stockport, Cheshire.
Rosa's enamel badge
The Midwives Institute was forerunner of
The Royal College of Midwives
The Latin motto Vita Donum Dei = Life is the gift of God
This heirloom bracelet belonged to Rosa.
It is hallmarked for the year Dora was born, 1911.
In the name of simplicity, data sources in general are omitted,
so you will have to trust me.
© 2016 Geoffrey Royle G4FAS
UNLESS OTHERWISE ANNOTATED