BUCKLER Annie Elinor

Annie Buckler was born at Chester on the 27th July 1875 and was baptised by her father, Reverend John Findlay Buckler at St Peter’s Church, Chester on the 21st August 1875. She was the 4th daughter of John and his wife Mary Anne (nee Mutlow) Buckler. Baptism records give the family address as Parkgate Road, Chester but by 1881 the family consisting of John aged 35, Mary Anne aged 30, daughters Mary A. aged 9, Theodora B. aged 7, Ethel K. aged 6, Annie aged 5 and son Walter H. St J. aged 1 were resident at 57 Liverpool Road in the city. Also present in the house was Mary’s mother Mary Anne Mutlow, a cook, a housemaid, a nurse and an under nurse.

By 1891 Annie had 2 younger brothers, Reginald Lionel B.B. born in 1882 and John Oswald born in 1888 and the family lived in The Vicarage, 5 Boundary Road, Claughton-Cum-Grange, Birkenhead. John was the Rector of Bidston and the family had a number of domestic servants. By the time of the 1901 census Annie was employed as a ‘domestic nurse’ in the home of John and Isabel Edwards in Hoylake Cum West Kirby, Cheshire.

Annie’s mother died in 1901 and her father in 1902 and in 1903 she commenced nurse training at Manchester Children’s Hospital, Pendlebury where she remained until 1906. From 1908 to October 1911 she worked at the London Temperance Hospital in Hampstead Road, N.W., her position recorded as Night Sister Duties. She had also spent time in charge of the operating theatre at the hospital. Unfortunately there is no record of Annie on the 1911 census.

On 6th May 1917 Annie, resident at 1 Vinery Villas, Hanover Gate, London N.W., applied to join Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Nursing Service Reserve (QAIMNSR) for the duration of the war. Her application form reveals that she was educated at home and at the High School, Birkenhead, Cheshire. In addition to her nursing career at the Children’s Hospital and the London Temperance Hospital, she also had 5 years experience as Ward Sister on men’s surgical and medical at the Princess Alice Hospital, Eastbourne. Having passed the medical and been accepted into the service, Annie reported for duty at Queen’s Auxiliary Hospital, Frognal, Sidcup, Kent on the 20th June 1917. However, she had previously applied for foreign service and on the 23rd February 1918 she was one of 4 QAIMNSR nurses who departed for Malta.

Invalided home on 29th August 1918 following recovery from a serious illness, Annie was granted sick leave until 22nd September 1918. She was clearly keen to return to work as she wrote to the Matron-in-Chief on the 12th September 1918 requesting that she be allowed to return to duty on Malta. Following a medical board review on the 24th September, Annie was denied a return to overseas duty but was passed fit to return to duty at a ‘Home Establishment’, subsequently receiving instruction on the 30th September 1918 to join the service at University War Hospital, Southampton forthwith.

Annie reported for duty on the 1st October 1918. Just over two weeks later on the 17th October 1918, Annie died from broncho-pneumonia. She was laid to rest in Hollybrook Cemetery, Southampton.