Midwifery
In 1881 Louisa Hubbard, a well known publisher and social campaigner established the Matron’s Aid, or Trained Midwives’ Registration Society. In 1886 Rosalind Paget (a nurse and midwife) took over the organisation of the society. It became the Midwives Institute and Trained Nurses’ Club, providing lectures for certified midwives and trained nurses. After much campaigning by the Midwives Institute, the 1902 Midwives Act was passed and the Central Midwives Board (CMB) was established to register and set standards for the training of midwives.
The London Obstetrical Society ran a Diploma in Midwifery for nurses from 1892. The badge they issued was the one directly adopted in 1904 by the Central Midwives Board. The design seen here shows the Roman goddess of childbirth holding a baby. The wording later changed to SCM for State Certified Midwife. The CMB for Scotland badge design had a central thistle motif: the red version is older.
Hospitals such as Queen Charlotte’s and the General Lying in Hospital (St Thomas’ Hospital), both in London, trained thousands of midwives. Hospitals often incorporated local heraldry in their badges, but most maternity hospitals used ‘mother and baby’ images. The first General Lying in Hospital badge shows a stork. Aberdeen uses ancient Christian symbols depicting the family unit.
The Midwives Institute became the College of Midwives in 1941 (Royal was added in 1947). The original College badge design was RCM on a rectangular silver badge with a pomegranate tree behind symbolizing fertility. This was changed in 1967, and is now a round badge showing a central morning star taken from their coat of arms.
The Central Midwives Board was disbanded in 1979 in favour of the UK Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.