Rosalind Paget
Dame Mary Rosalind Paget, DBE, ARRC (4 January 1855 – 19 August 1948), was a noted British nurse, midwife and reformer. She was the first superintendent, later inspector general, of the Queen's Jubilee Institute for District Nursing at the London Hospital,[1] which was renamed as the Queen's Institute of District Nursing in 1928 and as the Queen's Nursing Institute in 1973.
Rosalind Paget DBE ARRC | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 4 January 1855 |
| Died | 19 August 1948 (aged 93) |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | Midwife campaigner and reformer |
| Awards | Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1935) |
Career
In the 1890s she played an active role in the campaign for midwife registration, giving evidence in 1892 to the select committee on midwifery, but it was not until 1902 that the Midwives Act was passed. It made it an offence for anyone not properly certificated to describe herself, or practice, as a midwife, and established the Central Midwives' Board, of which Paget was a member until 1924. She was a supporter of women's suffrage; in July 1908 she led 20 members in a suffrage procession under the banner of Florence Nightingale.
Personal life
Paget was the daughter of John Paget and his wife, Elizabeth (née Rathbone). She never married. She died in 1948, aged 93.[2]
Honours
She was named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1935.
Legacies
The Dame Rosalind Paget Memorial Lecture and Rosalind Paget Trust were established in her honour. The University of Greenwich operates The Rosalind Paget Lab, a clinical skills lab used to teach student midwives, nurses and paramedics.
References
- History of the District Nursing Institute
- Hannam, J. (2004-09-23). Paget, Dame (Mary) Rosalind (1855–1948), nurse and midwife. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 15 Jan. 2018, see link