Glasgow District Nursing Association

History

The Glasgow Sick Poor and Private Nursing Association was founded by Mary Orrell Higginbotham in 1875, making it the first such organisation in Scotland. This followed the model of district nursing established by William Rathbone in Liverpool in 1859, which had been adopted by several English cities in the 1860s. Dr. J. B. Russell, Medical Officer for Health, wrote enthusiastically about the Liverpool scheme in 1875 and by 1880 he served on the Association's executive.

The Association aimed to provide trained nurses to attend the sick poor in their own homes, operating as a charity while also funding itself through private nursing services for those who could pay. Its objects included providing nurses to the sick poor either free or for payment, supplying food, medicine, bedding, or other necessities, maintaining a fund for nurses, providing premises for staff, and cooperating with similar organisations. It could also subscribe to or assist other associations with kindred objects.

Notable staff

Mary Orrell Higginbotham, born in England, was the wife of Glasgow merchant James Higginbotham, a partner in the firm Messrs. C. Todd & Higginbotham, Sons and Co. She moved to Glasgow in the early 1870s and persuaded her husband to allow her to train as a nurse at the Western Infirmary Glasgow. After qualifying, she worked at Miss McAlpin's Glasgow Training Home for Nurses before leaving to found the Association for Providing Trained Nurses for the West of Scotland.

She died on 12 December 1889 at age 41 and was buried in Derbyshire. Miss Morrison served as a senior assistant at the home before becoming Durham Assistant County Superintendent. In 1918, 14 nurses were absent doing military nursing, and staff were busy during the influenza epidemic. Nurse Ferguson, a Queen's nurse, served in France under the Civil Hospital reserve during World War 1 and received the Royal Red Cross.

Nurse Barnet worked at the home and served under the Joint War Committee. Both received gifts of sweets and cigarettes from the Association for wounded soldiers. Anna Dalglish Reid, a close friend of Higginbotham, helped establish the Higginbotham home and was appointed vice-president of the Queen's Institute of District Nursing in Scotland in 1928. She was associated with the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow, and served on the Scottish Council for 21 years.

Upon her death, she left £500 to the Glasgow District Nursing Association and £500 to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children.