Lily GASKELL

Lily GASKELL. Staff Nurse Territorial Force Nursing Service who died at Chorlton on the 3rd January 1919 of pneumonia whilst on active service in England aged 35 whilst working with the 2nd Western General Military Hospital Manchester She was the 3rd daughter of Samuel and Margaret Gaskell. She joined the TFNS on the 12th May 1916 as a Staff Nurse and gave her sister Maggie Louisa Gaskell also in the TFNS as her next of kin. I assumed , wrongly, she is at rest in Macclesfield Cemetery, Cheshire. as her relatives borne all the funeral expenses. The family plot at this cemetery is quite large.

UK & Ireland, Nursing Registers, 1898-1968. Shows that Lily trained at Manchester Royal Infirmary She lived with her sister Maggie at 27 Cawdor Road, Fallowfield, Manchester.

Note from author :

On the 26th December 2016 I had communication from John Hartley volunteer with the In From the Cold Project which works with the Commonwealth war Graves Commission to identify those who died during the world wars but who slipped through the net of official commemoration. I was informed that Lily Gaskell who is commemorated on this memorial is not buried in this cemetery as confirmed by the Macclesfield Cemetery office.

I too would like to know where she is at rest. There is a strong possibility she may be at rest with her sister in Southern Cemetery Manchester. The hospital and her residence are close to this cemetery. Her death was given as Chorlton-on-Medlock.

(Wills and Admin, Ancestry.co.uk) Lily Gaskell of 35 Palatine Road Withington Manchester spinster died from pneumonia whilst working at the 2nd General Hospital Manchester. Her effect went to her brother Arthur, occupation baker and( pork butcher).

Her sister Maggie Louisa Gaskell was also an nurse with the TNFS. She was medically boarded out of service 30th June 1917 and died 6 July 1919. She lived 27 Cawdor Road, Fallowfield, Manchester She is also commemorated on this memorial. Her effects went to her brother, Arthur, butcher.

Further enquiries are on going.

Updated information received from John Hartley today 8th February 2017...

Just to let you know we've been able to confirm Lily is, indeed, buried in the family grave at Macclesfield as you'd originally indicated. The cemetery operator has confirmed that they'd not properly transcribed the burial records when they digitised them and left off Lily and the sister Maggie. That means we can now advise CWGC of that and the grave will become an official war grave.

Linked to that, we are now looking at Maggie who, as you know was also a nurse. She was discharged due to ill health in 1917, dying in 1919. We've been able to establish that the cause of discharge was "chronic asthma, aggravated by service". One of our other volunteers is currently getting her death certificate. If cause of death is linked to the asthma, we can make a good case to CWGC that she, also, should have official recognition - the "aggravated by service" being the qualifying matter.

Thanks again for the information. It would have been impossible to progress both these cases without it.

Progress on this lady and her sister will be posted as soon as information becomes available.

The wonders of the internet.