Elizabeth Kate Pope, V.A.D.

Elizabeth Kate Pope, V.A.D.

Elizabeth Kate Pope was Alfred and Elizabeth’s eldest daughter was born in May 1879 at South Walk, Dorchester.  In the typically contemporary words of family biographer, R.G. Bartelot, Elizabeth and her sister Violet, `brought with them that softening element which is so essential to the welfare of the sterner sex in a mixed family.’

Unlike her brothers, Kate was educated by a governess at home until the age of thirteen before being sent to a private school in the Circus at Bath.  She spent three years there and then went to Brussels to a finishing school kept by the Misses Drury in order to acquire a knowledge of the French language, and `to perfect herself in the many and varied accomplishments taught by those estimable ladies.’

Kate then returned to England to attend Cheltenham Ladies’ College for two terms.

One of the results of all this education was that from Easter 1897 to July 1917 she held the post of a Sunday School teacher at Holy Trinity Church, Dorchester.

Just as her father and brothers saw pre-war public service in the volunteer armed forces, kate became interested in nursing and in 1912 she obtained a V.A.D. (Voluntary Aid Detachment) Certificate.

The V.A.D. had been formed in 1909 and by 1914 Kate was one of 74,000 V.A.D. nurses in England, two-thirds of them being female.

During the war, Kate worked at Dorchester War Hospital depot for bandages and other surgical appliances for the wounded.

(At this stage of research it is not clear whether Kate worked in a wing of the Dorset County Hospital given over to treating war wounded or at the Colliton House V.A.D. Hospital).

Due to insights from Sue Light via her excellent website www.scarletflinders.co.uk it seems that Kate worked in one of the handful of War Hospital Supply Depots in Dorchester.

I quote:

WAR HOSPITAL SUPPLY DEPOTS

A LIST OF WAR HOSPITAL SUPPLY DEPOTS ORGANIZED BY PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED KINGDOM AND ABROAD

*****

The work of the Central Work Rooms, Burlington House, has been described on the previous page. In addition, there were more than 2,700 War Hospital Supply Depots and Work Parties throughout the United Kingdom and overseas and the number of each work party below gives some idea of how early it was registered. The numbers from 1 to 1,000 are absent as they were allocated to workers at Burlington House, and 2,000 to 3,999 to single home-workers, so the total numbers involved was very much higher than even this list suggests. These details are taken from:


Reports by the Joint War Committee of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in England on Voluntary Aid Rendered to the Sick and Wounded at Home and Abroad and to British Prisoners of War, 1914-


DORSETSHIRE

 DORCHESTER MRS GOWRING, 49 HIGH STREET WEST
 DORCHESTER MRS GRIBBLE, KINGSTON RUSSELL HOUSE
DORCHESTER MRS SIMONDS, WINTERBOURNE ABBAS
 DORCHESTER MRS HANBURY, KINGTON HOUSE
 DORCHESTER MISS FETHERSTONHAUGH, OAKES WOOD
 
(Reference http://scarletfinders.co.uk/178.html_)

Another war service Kate undertook was the maintenance of an allotment for three years, in order to help maintain the food supply of the country during the U-boat menace.

Bartelot also states in the family memorial book that, `Kate is fond of home life and particularly fond of dumb animals, and in her younger days was often seen in the hunting field on her pony, “Tommy” attended by that favourite groom of the family, Jim Meech, now no more.’

It appears from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website that Jim Meech emigrated to South Africa, but was killed in 1918 whilst serving with the Australian Pioneers:-

James Arthur Meech

Rank:Private

Service No:3952A

Date of Death:29/07/1918

Age:29

Regiment/Service:Australian Pioneers

1st Grave Reference: A. 21. Cemetery:LE PEUPLIER MILITARY CEMETERY, CAESTRE

Additional Information: Son of John Henry and Frances Meech; husband of Bessie Meech of "Irene," Pretoria, South Africa; native of Beaminster, Dorset, England.

Kate Pope also managed the Coal and Clothing Clubs in Stratton and Grimstone.

It is notable that there is no picture of her in the Popes of Wessex memorial book, as there was of all her brothers.