agnes mabel hanks, nurse

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Agnes Mabel Hanks was born on 3 March 1877, the third child of William, a carpenter, and Celia. She had an older brother and sister, Frederick and Edith, and a younger sister, Bertha.

The 1881 census shows the family living in Droitwich Road. It gives her birthplace as Stratford, but in the 1891 census, her birthplace is given as Stafford. The family was now living in Waterworks Road.

Aged 24, Agnes was still living at home in 1901, home now being Balsall Heath in Birmingham. Her occupation is given as Dressmaker. She began working at the Asylum in 1902. She is listed in the Wages Book on 25 August as a Junior Nurse earning £16 a year, plus beer money of £2. By the 1911 census she was a Female Attendant, and in the 1921 census she is described as a Sick Nurse, living at the Nursing Institute in The Tything.

Both Agnes and her sister Edith qualified as nurses in 1924. In the Nursing Register for 1925, Agnes notes her experience as working at the Powick Asylum from 1902 to 1905, but there are death certificates bearing her signature attesting to the deaths of patients she nursed until 1919.  Among these patients were Alice Nicholls, Jane Turner and Jane Withers.

Agnes also qualified as a midwife in 1922. She seems to have moved around a good deal. The 1925 Nursing Register has her at an address in Bewdley, the 1926 Midwives’ Roll in Hereford, and the 1927 Electoral Roll in Henwick Road. From 1928 to 1931, the sisters lived together at Cornmeadow Lane in Claines. In the 1930s, Agnes lived in Providence Street in Worcester, though the 1935 Midwives’ Roll has her at an address in Kidderminster. In a 1936 trade directory she was back in Providence Street.

Agnes is listed in the 1931 Nursing Register at Cornmeadow Lane, and in the 1934 edition in Providence Street.

The 1939 Register has Agnes at 9 Desford Road in Blaby. There is another resident recorded at this address, who is described as a retired OAP, while Agnes is described as a nurse, so it is probable that she was at this address in a professional capacity. This could explain her numerous changes of address – if she was working as private nurse, it is likely that she would have lived in the homes of her employers.

Agnes is recorded in electoral rolls from 1957 at the Cornmeadow Lane address. She died early in 1961. There is no probate record for her, so her exact date of death is unknown.

Research by Cathy Broad, 2025.

Related links:-

Click here to find out about Agnes’ sister, Edith.

Go back to find out about people who were patients and other staff at the asylum.