The National Archives
A lockdown plus has been access to The National Archive online, register, search discovery… https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
Exploring Discovery[1] channeling my narcissist, who would I happen upon driven by the Karma of my previous life?
Miss Mildred A. Colclough[2], she has 70, -seventy- pages of records, surely enough to look into her life. A nursing Colclough, why would I not look?
Here are some bits and pieces…
First snippet is she looks to have retired in June 1939, next page a letter to Miss Husband Principal Patron T.A.N.S. (Territorial Army Nursing Service) Royal Infirmary Glasgow, from The War Office London SW1. Accepting (among others) the resignation Miss Mildred Adelaide Colclough from 7th June 1939 and noting she was entitled to retain her T.A.N.S. badges.
A letter from her dated December 21st, 1921 from ‘The Disabled Officers Home and Club, 46 and 48 Westbourne Terrace, Hyde Park W.2.’ acknowledging her promotion. Handwritten and signed by her.
Letter confirming her promotion (named on a list) from Maud McCarthy matron in Chief T.A.N.S. 18th December 1923.
Personal letter from the above Miss McCarthy to ‘Miss Colclough’ congratulating her on promotion from Staff nurse to Sister, dated 18th December 1923, promotion effected from 10 November 1923, addressed to Miss Mildred A. Colclough, Sister T.A.N.S., Nursing Home 46 Westbourne terrace, Hyde Park.
Promotion recommendation headed 4th Scottish General Hospital. Career history trained at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital; Rochester. Enrolled 7.10.18, called up 22.10.18, age 35 demobilized 30.4.19. Reports ‘Very Good recommended for promotion’.
Letters acknowledging promotion process underway from above Miss McCarthy.
Date of arrival at 4th Scottish Hospital, Glasgow, 22 October 1918, permission for Miss Mildred Colclough staff nurse T.A.N.S. to be released from duty as no longer needed on 30th April 1919.
Document giving her Age and address in 1919 on demobilisation address 38 Netherby Road Edinburgh. Aged 23 last birthday, stationed at 4th Scottish General Hospital, the disability form, Army form Z 22. – W 3165a.
Notification of Gratuity Granted on account of cessation of service with satisfactory conduct.
Handwritten letter giving her insurance number 45956 as a member of ‘The Nurses Insurance Society’.
Document noting £7 insurance arrears contribution for civilian nurses in tempera Army employ.
Handwritten letter 20th October 1919, enquiry if she was entitled to Victory Medal Ribbon even though she had not seen overseas service, reply that she was not.
Territorial army nursing service document, she was previously Nurse at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital Rochester Kent, sent to 4th Scottish Hospital, address for pay was 4 Nelson St. Edinburgh.
War officer letter outlining her pay would be £40 first year annual increment £2 10/- and addition of £20 if undertaking to serve abroad. Also required to state if both parents were British.
Handwritten letter applying for TANS, stating she was 23, had completed 4 years of general training at Rochester and had had Theatre Sister experience, asking for London appointment if possible (went to Scotland), or overseas.
Handwritten letter 29 August 1918, stating her parents were British, her deceased mother was English, stepmother was Australian, father was an officer in the Accountant branch of the Navy for 18 years. A reference can be supplied by Mrs. Harold Fairweather, wife of Dr H Fairweather honorary surgeon at the hospital, their address was 11 New Road Avenue New Road, Chatham.
The snippets above all the pages accessible via The National Archives for Mildred give a fascinating insight into her adult life (I think so anyway).
The genealogical aspect kicks in, she mentions her parents, including her stepmother.
I spent an hour or two looking. Her probate shows she never married, died 1947 and had lived on the Motor Yacht Magnet Cubitt Yacht Basin Hartington Road Chiswick, London.
Her parents were Beauchamp Urquhart Colclough born Thayetmyo Burma 1867 died Surrey, England 1949, he retired from the navy with the rank of Paymaster Rear Admiral (check him in The National Archives too)[3] and Anabel Mildred Annie Gooch born Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland died Hampshire England 1911, interestingly a remnant of the ‘empire’ as far as Mildred was concerned her parents were British and were in those times considered to be absolutely so. Her stepmother was Beatrice Sophie Pearson born new South Wales 1873 and declared to be Australian by Mildred.
Just for Colclough’s for now, my search quickly finds Beauchamp Urquhart’s father was Beauchamp Colclough born 1829 Dublin, died 1900 Hampshire a retired H.M. Navy Captain. His father was Beauchamp Urquhart Colclough born about 1800 Elm Grove Co. Carlow, Ireland, his father was Beauchamp Colclough born 1766 Lower, Kildavin, Carlow, Ireland died 1847 Chippawa, Upper Canada (another story here surely). His father was not surprisingly Beauchamp Colclough too, born about 1732 Kildavin, Co. Carlow died 1766 at Kildavin, this Beauchamp’s father was for a change, Henry Colclough born Duffry Hall, Co. Wexford about 1705 died Co. Wexford 1770, his father was Dudley Colclough born about 1670 Duffry Hall, Co. Wexford died there 1712, his father was Patrick Colclough born about 1645 Duffry Hall, Co. Wexford died 1691 he was in the Irish parliament at the time of James II in 1689[4]. Patrick’s father was Sir Dudley Colclough born about 1613 he died 1633 in France where he had escaped to, to avoid Cromwell’s clutches a friend it seems to Charles II’s mother which helped after the restoration[5]. Sir Dudley’s father was Sir Thomas Colclough born 1564 Rosegarland Co. Wexford died 1624 and buried at Tintern Abbey Co. Wexford, last for now Sir Thomas’s father was Sir Anthony Colclough born Bluerton Staffordshire about 1520 the first of us who ventured to Ireland[6]. So Mildred A. Colclough as well as our career shared some ancestors, that’s genealogy for you a winding path into the past.
[1] National Archives (Great Britain). Discovery. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ : accessed 26 March 2021
[2] War Office (Great Britain). Directorate of Army Medical Services and Territorial Force: Nursing Service records. COLCLOUGH, Mildred A 1914-1919. WO399-10476. National Archives (Great Britain),
Kew, England. Collection: WO 399 – War Office: Directorate of Army Medical Services and Territorial Force: Nursing Service Records, First World War. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10803412 : accessed 26 March 2021.
[3] Admiralty (Great Britain). Naval Officer’s service record. COLCLOUGH, Beauchamp Urquhart CBE. ADM 196/12/513 . National Archives (Great Britain), Kew, England. Collection: ADM 196 – Admiralty: Officers’ Service Records (Series III). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7586619 : accessed 05 April 2021.
[4] Library Ireland. The Irish Parliament of King James the second 1689. https://libraryireland.com/Pedigrees2/irish-parliament-king-james.php : accessed 05 April 2021
[5] See my blog https://colclough-resource.blogspot.com/2013/03/im-starting-this-blog-as-resource-for.html
[6] Ibid.
