Ridley, Miriam
On June the 8th, Mrs. Bridges nee Ridley passed away at her home, 44, The College, Northfleet.
It seems so few years ago that Miss Miriam Ridley came as a nurse to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, though it must be half a century ago! We remember her so well because she was so exceedingly pretty, so gay and graceful, and full of professional feeling. Miss Ridley was trained at the Borough Hospital, Birkenhead, 1882 - 83, and then worked at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, 1883 - 87. She became Matron of Llandudno Hospital in 1889, and then returned to London as Matron of the Hospital for Epilepsy, where she worked earnestly for several years.
It was during this time that she became a member of the Royal British Nurses Association, and threw herself energetically into all its activities, for the Registration of Nurses and serving on its Committees. When the clash came, and the principle of State Registration was held in abeyance and later denied by the medical element in the Association - Miss Ridley stood with the minority very firmly for the principles for which the Association had been founded - and in later years lived to see the triumph of legal status for nurses in the Acts of 1919.
Miss Ridley married Dr. Bridges and went to Australia - where unfortunately the health of her greatly loved husband broke down and he came home to die a few years later - since which time Mrs. Bridges never failed to take a keen interest in nursing organisation and progress. She was a woman of deep and faithful affections, and kept in touch with the writer until the end of her well spent life.
Biographical
| Registration number | 741 |
|---|---|
| Surname | Ridley |
| First name(s) | Miriam |
| Address(es) | Hospital for Epilepsey, Portland Terrace, Regent's Park, N.W. |
| Date of registration | 28 March 1890 |
| Qualifications | Borough Hospital, Birkenhead, 1882 - 83 |
| Remarks | Married |
Personal details
| Maiden name | Miriam Ridley |
|---|---|
| Married name | Mrs. Ashley Bridges |
| Family details | Death of husband, Dr. Bridges, at Germanton, New South Wales, Australia, The B.J.of N., Vol.31, 21st Nov., 1903, p.412. |
| Date of death | 1932 |
| Place of death | Northfleet |
| Additional personal details | Miss Miriam Ridley was married to Dr. Ashley Bridges at St. Stephen's Church, Avenue Road, on Monday last, by the Ref. F. Pover, Vicar and Chaplain to the Hospital for Epilepsy and Paralysis, Portland ........... Dr. and Mrs. Bridges leave England at the end of the month for Western Australia, as their home is to be made in Perth, where bright prospects await them." (The N.W.& H.R., Vol.19,Oct.1897) Miss Ridley was very well liked and noted for her lively personality as well as her affectionate and generous nature. She was very active in the nursing profession and was one of the founding members of the RBNA. She organised entertainment for the patients at the Hospital for Epilepsy and took part playing a musical instrument. |
Professional details
| Work experience | Matron at the Sir Julian Goldsmith's Home of Rest for Nurses at 12 Sussex Square, Brighton, 1932 |
|---|---|
| Professional activities | Elected to serve on the Committee of Registered Nurses |
| Additional professional details | Took active part in helping to organise the Nursing Exhibition, 1896 |
| Sources | British Journal of Nursing: The Nursing Record & Hospital World: The Nursing Record: Archives |