1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/Fenwick, Ethel Gordon

FENWICK, ETHEL GORDON [Mrs. Bedford Fenwick] (1857-), British nurse, was born at Spynie House, Morayshire, Jan. 26 1857. She was educated privately, and in 1878 entered the Children's hospital at Nottingham to be trained as a nurse. After a short time at the Royal Infirmary, Manchester, she became a sister at the London hospital (1878-81), and in 1881 was appointed matron of St. Bartholomew's hospital. In 1887 she married Dr. Bedford Fenwick (b. 1855), the well-known gynaecologist, and henceforth devoted herself largely to the work of reorganizing and raising the status of the nursing profession. From 1889 to 1896 she was managing directress of the Gordon House Home hospital, and in 1887 founded the British Nurses' Association, of which she was the first member. Mrs. Bedford Fenwick has been a member of many medical and nursing congresses and has also contributed many papers to medical journals. She became in 1893 editor of the British Journal of Nursing, and was a prominent member of the Society of Women Journalists.