Virtual Speaker Series

Join us for the AAHN Virtual Speaker Series! This exciting series features monthly nursing history research talks from January to May and September to December. Free for AAHN members; $30 for non-members.

May Virtual Speaker Series

Title: Nursing the Metropolis: the female ward staff of St Bartholomew's hospital in London, 1660-1820
Speaker: Alannah Tomkins 
Date: May 2, 2025
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm ET
Cost: Free for members; $30 for non-members

Brief Abstract:The history of nursing in London before the early nineteenth century used to occasion sweeping generalisations about the flaws of pre-reform nurses (if it attracted any comment at all). In contrast this investigation of the St Bartholomew's Hospital archives showcases the experiences of over 600 women who worked at Barts 1660-1820. Tracing their individual histories, both in the hospital and where possible outside it, provides illustrations of nurses' biographies, the work culture they found at the hospital, and their relationships with one another. This talk draws on material contained in chapter two of my recent book Nursing the English from Plague to Peterloo.

Register Here