Mrs. Hedges opens Nurses Home, Primrose Bank, Burnley

iBase ID

275016

Reference identifier

EBU20180130007

Title

Mrs. Hedges opens Nurses Home, Primrose Bank, Burnley

Place

Burnley

Personal names

Mrs. Mary Lizzie Hedges, Mr. Gilbert Keighley, Mr. T. Ridehalgh, Mr. Purton, Alderman Harrison, Miss Nugent.

General notes

The extension to the Nurses Home was opened on 16th July 1925, providing much needed new accommodation for 40 nurses at Primrose Bank Infirmary ( the "workhouse"). The opening was performed by Mrs. Mary Lizzie Hedges, Chairman of the Board of Guardians, seen here making almost everyone smile.

The ceremony was chaired by Mr. T. Ridehalgh also a member of the Board of Guardians, who praised the Christian motivation behind the institution "caring for the sick, whether in body or mind, providing shelter, food and comfort for the destitute and the homeless".

There were several more speakers, including the Clerk, Mr. Purton, who detailed the costs which had amounted to £12,000, which the Guardians had borrowed to repay over 10 years. There were many complimentary remarks made about Mrs. Hedges, and the architect Mr. Gilbert Keighley presented her with a silver cake stand.

The elderly gentleman on the platform is Alderman Harrison from Colne, 87, who was honoured for his long service to the Poor Law Union.

The Matron is Miss Nugent.

Primrose Bank eventually became the Burnley General Hospital.

Mrs. Mary Lizzie Hedges had a long life of dedicated public service as a Liberal, and was secretary to the Burnley Liberal Women's Association for 30 years. Mrs. Hedges had been elected to the Board of Poor Law Guardians in 1904, and was elected Chairman in 1924, as the first ever lady chairman of the predominatly male Board, despite misgivings on the part of some of the male board members, who, on her re-election in 1925, were happy to admit they had been wrong. She remained a Guardian until the Board was disbanded.

She was also a magistrate and it seems was on every possible committee for the public good. Her husband was a music teacher, and organist at Fulledge Methodist Church. In 1928 she was knocked down by a motor car which restricted her public activities and in August 1936, now a widow, she went to live with her brother in Lyme Regis, for her health, but soon returned to Burnley. Unfortunately, in May 1942 she was again knocked down in St. James's Street from which she never recovered and she died on 1st August 1942 aged 81. A lengthy obituary appeared in the Burnley Express on 5th August 1942 and she was much mourned.

Medium

Photographic print

Colour

Monochrome

Original image size

20.5 x 15.5

Year of image

1925

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Locator

Q12

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