Myra Bennett
Encyclopedia
Myra M. Bennett, CM
, MBE
(April 1, 1890 – April 26, 1990) born London
, England
, died Daniel's Harbour
, Newfoundland
, Canada
. Dubbed The Florence Nightingale
of Newfoundland by the Evening Telegram
, is a tribute to her tremendous contribution to the people of the Great Northern Peninsula
and known simply as The Nurse.
Bennett (née Grimsley) worked as a tailor in London before training as a nurse at Woolwich
and a course in midwifery
at Clapham School of Midwifery. She came to Newfoundland
as a district nurse under the outport nursing scheme. Her plan was to travel to Saskatchewan
but was approached by Lady Harris (wife of Sir Alexander Harris
) and was made aware of the dire need for nurses in Newfoundland. She agreed and changed her plans to go to Daniel's Harbour in May 1921. So began her long career of caring for the sick on the west coast of Newfoundland. The house that she lived in at Daniel's Harbour is now a heritage site.
For her tremendous efforts she was awarded the following awards and honours:
Bennett's life as a nurse in outport Newfoundland was written in an article by Reader's Digest
and a book entitled Don't Have Your Baby in the Dory by H. Gordon Green. CBC TV also did a documentary on her life story, as well as, an interview with Peter Gzowski. She is also the subject of Robert Chafe's play Tempting Providence (Playwrights Canada Press, 2004). Theatre Newfoundland Labrador's production of "Tempting Providence" has been touring nationally and internationally since 2002.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(April 1, 1890 – April 26, 1990) born London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, died Daniel's Harbour
Daniel's Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador
Daniel's Harbour is a community on the west coast of Newfoundland, in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.-References:...
, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Dubbed The Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale OM, RRC was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night...
of Newfoundland by the Evening Telegram
The Telegram
The Telegram is a daily newspaper published in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.-History:The Evening Telegram was first published on April 3, 1879 by William James Herder. It adopted its current name in 1998, although it was also briefly published under this name in 1881...
, is a tribute to her tremendous contribution to the people of the Great Northern Peninsula
Great Northern Peninsula
The Great Northern Peninsula is the largest and longest peninsula of the island of Newfoundland, Canada, approximately 225 km long and 80 km wide at its widest point and encompassing an area of 17,483 km²...
and known simply as The Nurse.
Bennett (née Grimsley) worked as a tailor in London before training as a nurse at Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
and a course in midwifery
Midwifery
Midwifery is a health care profession in which providers offer care to childbearing women during pregnancy, labour and birth, and during the postpartum period. They also help care for the newborn and assist the mother with breastfeeding....
at Clapham School of Midwifery. She came to Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
as a district nurse under the outport nursing scheme. Her plan was to travel to Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
but was approached by Lady Harris (wife of Sir Alexander Harris
Charles Alexander Harris
Sir Charles Alexander Harris was a British colonial administrator, Governor of Newfoundland from 1917 to 1922.Harris graduated from Christ's College, Cambridge in 1878...
) and was made aware of the dire need for nurses in Newfoundland. She agreed and changed her plans to go to Daniel's Harbour in May 1921. So began her long career of caring for the sick on the west coast of Newfoundland. The house that she lived in at Daniel's Harbour is now a heritage site.
For her tremendous efforts she was awarded the following awards and honours:
- 1935 - King George V Silver Jubilee MedalKing George V Silver Jubilee MedalThe King George V Silver Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the coronation of King George V.-Issue:...
, - 1936 - Member of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, - 1937 - King George VI Coronation MedalKing George VI Coronation MedalThe King George VI Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the coronation of King George VI.-Issue:For Coronation and Jubilee medals, the practice up until 1977 was that United Kingdom authorities decided on a total number to be produced, then allocated a proportion to each of...
, - 195? - Queen Elizabeth II Coronation MedalQueen Elizabeth II Coronation MedalThe Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.-Issue:For Coronation and Jubilee medals, the practice up until 1977 was that United Kingdom authorities decided on a total number to be produced, then allocated a proportion to...
, - 1967 - honorary membership in the Association for Registered Nurses of Newfoundland,
- 1974 - Member of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, - 1974 - Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa, Memorial University of NewfoundlandMemorial University of NewfoundlandMemorial University of Newfoundland, is a comprehensive university located primarily in St...
.
Bennett's life as a nurse in outport Newfoundland was written in an article by Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
and a book entitled Don't Have Your Baby in the Dory by H. Gordon Green. CBC TV also did a documentary on her life story, as well as, an interview with Peter Gzowski. She is also the subject of Robert Chafe's play Tempting Providence (Playwrights Canada Press, 2004). Theatre Newfoundland Labrador's production of "Tempting Providence" has been touring nationally and internationally since 2002.