Nursing and hospital directories

Burdett’s Directories

Sir Henry Burdett, a Victorian philanthropist, published Burdett’s Official Nursing Directory 1894-9. These were annual volumes listing the law pertaining to nurses, the particulars of training schools in the UK and abroad, nursing institutions etc and a list of nurses giving their names, addresses and a very brief résumé. Nurses could pay to have their names added, which many of the London based nurses did. The RCN Archives has a copy of the 1898 and 1899 editions for reference.

Sir Henry also published Burdett’s Hospital Annual 1890-1893 which became Burdett’s Hospital and Charities Annual 1894-1930. It lists the hospitals, institutions, charities and organisations which existed in the UK. It gives membership of hospital boards, names of senior nursing and medical staff, details of training available, size of hospital and of the nursing staff etc. The RCN Archives has copies from 1905, 1922, 1923 and 1928.

Hospital yearbooks and directories

This publication joined with the Annual Report of the Voluntary Hospitals in Great Britain (excluding London) to become the Hospitals Yearbook 1931-1967. This lists the area health authorities and the hospitals, clinics and units that come within their administration. After 1967 this changed its name to The Hospitals Yearbook and Directory of Hospital Suppliers. The publication The Hospital and Health Services Yearbook came after this.

London County Council handbooks

The London County Council (LCC), now the Corporation of London, included the Metropolitan Asylums Board (MAB) and employed many nurses across the city. Its annual handbook, LCC Staff and General Services, contains the names of nurse employees 1909-39, and may be consulted at the London Metropolitan Archives.

The RCN also holds:

  • Who’s Who in the Nursing World. The Nursing Yearbook 1929.
  • Guy's Hospital Nurses League Register & Nursing Guide: 1937, 1950, 1960, 1997 & 2000.
  • Royal British Nurses Association Roll of Members 1909.

These and later directories are available from health libraries around the UK.

Trade and Post Office directories

Nurses and midwives are sometimes listed in eighteenth and nineteenth century trade and Post Office directories. For England and Wales, these publications can be found at most county record offices and some public libraries. Digital versions of the directories from 28 Scottish towns, 1773-1911, may be searched free of charge at the National Library of Scotland website. Selected street directories for Northern Ireland are available to search via the Public Records Office for Northern Ireland website.