View source for MAKEPEACE, Mary Ridley

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== Biography ==
Mary Ridley Makepeace was born on 7 January 1860 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. She was privately educated and entered nurse training at the London Hospital in August 1890. She completed a two-year certificate and then worked briefly as a staff nurse at the Throat Hospital before taking up a post at Croydon General Hospital<ref name="WO399">The National Archives: WO399 5554</ref>.

== Nursing Service in the Victorian Wars ==
Mary Ridley Makepeace joined the Army Nursing Service in October 1894. She was posted initially to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, and later moved to Shorncliffe Military Hospital in March 1897<ref name="WO399"/>.

==Nursing Service in the Boer War==
In October 1899 she was posted to the <i>Hospital Ship Spartan</i>, and then to the <i>Hospital Ship Avoca</i> from February 1900 to October 1901. She then had several postings in the Orange River Colony<ref name="WO399"/>.

[[File:Spartan1.jpg|thumb|250px|center|The crew, Medical Officers and Sisters on the Hospital Ship Spartan. Mary Ridley Makepeace is numbered ‘5’<ref>Black and White Budget January 6th, 1900 pp. 22-23</ref>]]

[[File:Spartan2.jpg|thumb|250px|center|Ward inside HMS Spartan, Sister Makepeace in charge]]

==Nursing service after the Boer War==
In February 1903 she was accepted into the newly formed Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service as a Sister<ref>London Gazette May 26th, 1903 p.3365</ref>. She came back from South Africa in 1905 and returned to the RVH Netley for a short while before being posted to the Military Hospital Cork. During her time in Cork she passed her examinations to become a Matron.

She was next posted to the Military Hospital Devonport in November 1909, where she remained until being sent to Malta as Matron in June 1914.

==Nursing service in WW1==
Matron Makepeace was serving in Malta at the outbreak of war and remained there until being invalided home in July 1916. She was placed on retired pay on account of her ill health on the 21st April 1917, having served over 22 years as an Army nurse<ref name="WO399"/>.
== References ==
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[[Category:ANS]]
[[Category:Victorian]]
[[Category:WW1]]