Ruth Elizabeth (nee TAYLOR) BAGLEY

[GraemeClarke]

Hi

Am still working on this but this is what I have

Ruth was born Ruth Elizabeth Taylor in Walsall Wood in 1870.

At 14 years of age she entered the nursing profession and served during the South African War as an Army sister attached to the Northumberland Fusiliers.

During the course of her duties she was wounded by a bullet which entered her side. Her injuries were such that she required several operations necessitating the removal of pieces of bone.

For her services she was awarded the Kin’s and Queen’s medals, the former with 5 bars, Cape Colony, Tugela heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith and Transvall. The latter medal has 2 bars, South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902.

Ruth earned a degree in Medicine and was about to retire from the service in 1914 when, according to newspapers,

“on arriving, with a number of troops at an English port from one of the colonies, she was not allowed to land. Proceeding straight to the scene of the action she renewed her noble calling within sound of the guns and at Mons had the alarming experience of being in a hospital which was being shelled by the Germans.”

She was again wounded towards the end of 1914 receiving injuries to both arms and a foot. She was returned to England and received her discharge.

Lord Kitchener himself sent ‘a special silver medal’ to Ruth with a personal note stating

“Presented to Sister Taylor M.D. With every success, hoping you live many years to wear it. Lord Kitchener’.

Ruth married Amos Bagley, a widower with 6 children, at Lichfield on Sunday 3 January 1915 and then resided at High Street, Brownhills.

Taken ill, Ruth entered Birmingham Hospital towards the end of 1916 and passed away 9 weeks later. The newspapers reported that she died

“in consequence upon a complaint which is understood to have arisen from the wound in her side.”

She was buried at Ogley Hay Cemetery on Thursday 11 January 1917 with military honours, a party of the South Staffordshire Regiment stationed at Lichfield being present. The service was conducted by the Curate in Charge, the Reverend Scott.

Newspapers also reported that Ruth was a survivor from the “Titanic”, however it cannot be confirmed that she was aboard at the time.

Does this mean anything to anyone ??

I have the newspaper cutting if anyone is interested.

Regards,

Graeme

[thor432]

Hi Graeme

I cannot find Ruth on either the Passenger list or Suvivors list from the Titanic.

Dave

[GraemeClarke]

Hi Dave,

Cheers, thanks for the confirmation, as I thought.

Regards,

Graeme

[Sue Light]

Is there anything to substantiate any single fact in this? She doesn't appear in Kieron Spires list of nurses who served in South Africa, which included details of those women who received the QSA medal, although a few entries are not legible. It also includes nominal rolls and the names of locally employed nurses.

Boer War Nurses

It was not possible for women to train as nurses at 14 or even 'before 14' as I think it quoted somewhere, though of course she could have worked in private service as some sort of nurse-maid.

She was not a member of the Army Nursing Service.

'An Army sister attached to the Northumberland Fusiliers' does suggest that she was there officially as some part of the Army Nursing Service or Reserve, but it seems from the records that she was not.

She doesn't appear in the 1911 Medical Directory (1911 being the nearest in date to one in which she should have had an entry if she was a doctor). What was 'the service' that she was due to retire from in 1914?

I find it hard to believe any part of the 'Mons' story, and if there is any truth in it, why has nothing been heard of it before. How would a civilian woman find her way to a hospital 'within the sound of the guns' at that stage in the war, before any of the official British nursing service members were there and female nurses were confined to the bases?

Is there a picture, or any other provenance for the award by Kitchener?

The whole thing sounds like fabrication to me - there have been one or two others on the forum in the past few months. This one is more difficult as most of the 'action' happened very early on. It would be interesting if anyone could find anything that supports just a little part of it.

Sue

[GraemeClarke]

Hi Sue,

I agree with what you say.

I was surprised to find the cutting and that is why I placed it in the Forum. I cannot find any census returns for her BUT I did find the marriage registration.

The Titanic revelation appears to be made up.

All very odd indded,

Regards,

Graeme

[Jim Strawbridge]

Is there anything to substantiate any single fact in this? She doesn't appear in Kieron Spires list of nurses who served in South Africa, which included details of those women who received the QSA medal, although a few entries are not legible. It also includes nominal rolls and the names of locally employed nurses.

Boer War Nurses

It was not possible for women to train as nurses at 14 or even 'before 14' as I think it quoted somewhere, though of course she could have worked in private service as some sort of nurse-maid.

She was not a member of the Army Nursing Service.

'An Army sister attached to the Northumberland Fusiliers' does suggest that she was there officially as some part of the Army Nursing Service or Reserve, but it seems from the records that she was not.

She doesn't appear in the 1911 Medical Directory (1911 being the nearest in date to one in which she should have had an entry if she was a doctor). What was 'the service' that she was due to retire from in 1914?

I find it hard to believe any part of the 'Mons' story, and if there is any truth in it, why has nothing been heard of it before. How would a civilian woman find her way to a hospital 'within the sound of the guns' at that stage in the war, before any of the official British nursing service members were there and female nurses were confined to the bases?

Is there a picture, or any other provenance for the award by Kitchener?

The whole thing sounds like fabrication to me - there have been one or two others on the forum in the past few months. This one is more difficult as most of the 'action' happened very early on. It would be interesting if anyone could find anything that supports just a little part of it.

Sue

Well done, Sue, for seeing through this one. In the NA WO100/229 Folio 9 is "Sister Taylor. Ruth Elizabeth Taylor, afterwards the wife of Amos Bagley. She wore a Queen's Medal & 5 clasps also the King's Medal & 2 clasps. These medals had been tampered with. She was convicted in October & November 1909 for fraud. She died in the General Hospital, Birmingham 4 January 1917 and was given a Military Funeral. She was a fraud. Medals “returned to Husband 10.4.17”.

[Sue Light]

Well done to you Jim for solving the mystery. Very odd what people did to get noticed, but I guess it's still going on today in one form or another. Perhaps it seems more unusual because it was a woman involved.

Sue

[GraemeClarke]

Hi Jim,

I did try to send you the clipping but could not find your e-mail address.

Many thanks for clearing that one up.

How very, very peculiar.

Regards,

Graeme

[Sue Light]

She was obviously related to the Woman Sniper of Gallipoli

Sue

[pylon1357]

If she had been male, she would be refered to as a "WALT". Being female, I wounder if there is a term for this.....other than the obvious.

[royalredcross]

And, for a start. no woman was permitted to receive a clasp to her QSA or KSA !!

Marvellous story, though, and a great illustration of what happens when you believe everything you are told.

NGG

[woundwort]

I'm unclear... did she carry-on walting (ooer, Matron!) after her conviction for fraud in 1909? ; thus securing favours and a military funeral in 1917.

[BereniceUK]

The report of her supposed career and of her death and funeral appeared in the Lichfield Mercury, Friday 19th January 1917, where it referred to her as "Elizabeth Bagley." Her full name, Ruth Elizabeth Bagley, age (47), and death in Birmingham is confirmed by the General Register Office, and there's a 191 Sister Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Christian's Army Nursing Service (Reserve) in the Database at 'Nurses On The Veldt.' Boer War Nurses Database | NURSES ON THE VELDT

So it's possible that she had some nursing experience during the Boer War, but of course Sister Elizabeth Taylor could have been a completely different person..