West Auckland

Glen Eden

Information on private maternity homes and midwives in Glen Eden in the book In Those Days, an Oral History of Glen Eden, edited by Pauline Vela, 1989, pp. 41-42. Includes images of Nurse Sarah Arnold and Nurse Vera Ellis-Crowther.

A Mrs Byles operated an "infant home" at Waikumete/Glen Eden around 1909. According to Vela, she was one of two early midwives in the area, before Nurse Arnold. A John Byles had a residence on West Coast Road in the Waitakeres from c.1893 (NZ Herald 16 November 1893 p.8 col. 3). In 1906, a Mrs Byles put that property up for lease. Sylvana Byles appeared in the courts in 1906.

"AN OLD-FASHIONED ENGLISH MOTHER."

Sylvana Byles, a benevolent-looking old lady, for whom Mr Skelton appeared, pleaded guilty to keeping an infant for monetary consideration without being licensed to do so. Mr A E Skelton said the defendant had applied to have her home registered, but she had not been successful, her house not being large enough. The house was well situated at Karaka, near Nihotupu, on the West Coast Road. Defendant had resided in the colony for 60 years, and had an excellent character.

Sub-Inspector Gordon said that the license had not been granted because the house was not of the dimensions prescribed by the Act. Mr Kettle (to defendant): Have you had any experience? Defendant: Oh, yes. I have had nine children of my own. Mr. Kettle: Did you really expect to get a permit? Defendant: Yes. I did not know there was a lot of red-tape to go through. I brought a little grandson up; had him when he was three weeks old. Oh, I should have brought him here. He is a picked one -- prime! (Laughter.) Mr Kettle said that from her manner he could see that the defendant was a most desirable person to have to look after an infant.

"I'm an old-fashioned English mother," said Mrs Byles. "I only wish we had more of them," said Mr. Kettle. His Worship said he did not think it a case for a fine, and dismissed the information, telling the defendant that in the meanwhile the police would reconsider her application. (NZ Herald, 4 December 1906)

An inquest was held this afternoon before the Coroner (Mr T. Gresham), concerning the death of an infant child, which died suddenly at Waikumete on Monday. The deceased child was born on the 25th December last, its mother being an unmarried woman. The child was registered under the name of "Bonny Bell" by its mother, one Isabella Hannah. The child was handed over to Mrs Byles, a licensed infant home-keeper at Waikumete, under an arrangement by which she was to receive 12/6 per week while she kept the child. At the time the arrangement was made Mrs Byles had not seen the child, nor the mother, nor did she then or at any time know the child's real name. The child was given into her charge at Mt. Eden railway station by Nurse Rendell of Eden Terrace, and from Nurse Rendell she has since received the payments of 12/6 per week.

The child was then, according to Mrs Byles' story, very weakly and emaciated; so much so that had she been aware of its real condition she would have been afraid to take charge of it. Mrs Byles stated that the child improved gradually in health until a week ago, since when it had become sickly. On Sunday evening the child seemed quite well, but during the night was restless, and shortly after 8 o'clock next morning died suddenly. There might have been a very slight convulsion, but of that she was not certain. She took all reasonable steps to save the child's life, but to no purpose. (Auckland Star 21 July 1909)

Nurse Byles continued practice, at least to 1912. John Byles died in September 1916, aged 83. Both he and his wife descended from Huguenot families. They arrived in NZ in 1892, and took up their land in the Waitakere Ranges. (NZ Herald 11 September 1916) In January 1928, aged 81, Sylvana Byles was knocked down by a car near Henderson. She died on 25 March that year.

OBITUARY.

MRS SYLVANA BYLES.

A resident of New Zealand for over forty years, Mrs. Sylvana Bytes died recently at the residence of her youngest son, Mr E M Byles, Hepburn Road, Glen Eden. Mrs Byles was a direct descendant of two Huguenot families who found refuge in England after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes by the French Government, and who settled at Spitalfields in 1685. Deceased was born at King's Heath, near Birmingham, on February 6, 1847. She was married to the late Mr John Byles, and with her husband and seven young children came to New Zealand in the sailing ship Langstone, the voyage taking over three months. They settled in Auckland, where Mr. Byles was for some time on the reading staff of the Auckland Star. Later he took up land at Waitakere, where he died eleven years ago.

Just about Christmas Mrs Byles was visiting her daughter, Mrs Charles Fagg, at Raetihi, and made a trip up Mount Ruapehu on New Year's Day, 1928. She astounded others present by climbing to the snowline, although then 81 years of age. She left Raetihi on account of the fire danger, and the day after her return to Auckland was knocked down by a motor car while crossing a street near Henderson. She sustained very severe injuries and remained in a more or less unconscious condition until her death. Mrs Byles was blessed with a kindly, cheery, disposition, and made many friends who will regret her death. She is survived by the following children: Messrs R B, C J, and E M Byles, of Auckland, Mrs E Farey, of Peckhill, South Wales, Mrs F E White, of Henderson, Mrs M B Godfrey, of Auckland, and Mrs T S Fagg, of Raetihi. (Auckland Star, 7 April 1928)

Another mid-wife said to have been in the area was Mrs Kate Ellen Woodruffe (c.1901- at least 1913).

In view of the medical testimony given at the inquest on Wednesday last touching the death of the infant Myosovich, at Waikumete, the police are proceeding against Mrs Kate Ellen Woodruffe on an information that, not being a certificated nurse, she acted as a midwife. The evidence prompting this action was that the infant died of asphyxia, which would probably have been noted at birth by a skilled midwife, and which a doctor could have rectified at an early stage. (Auckland Star 14 October 1913)

"Mrs Woodruffe is a good practical and capable mid-wife. For the past 10 or 12 years she has attended scores of mothers of Waikumete and outlying districts, leaving her bed without a murmur, driving, riding, sometimes walking miles through rain, hail and mud to assist people she never heard of before: going to places where no doctor could get his inevitable motor-car, where no dainty certificated nurses with their caps and spotless aprons would think of going. In all these years Mrs Woodruffe has never had a case like the one in point, and never lost a patient. I think that this speaks for her capability, and the mothers of Waikumete will be very sorry indeed if she is to be debarred from taking cases in the future or if she is in any way to be held responsible for the present trouble." (Auckland Star 17 October 1913)

The case was dismissed. She died in October 1925, was buried at Waikumete Cemetery, and was a widow of Sergeant Heneage S Woodruffe (d.1889).

Nurse Sarah Arnold (1921-c.1932)

Could only take one patient at a time. She had two homes at Glen Eden; the second one "along West Coast Road nearly opposite Pleasant Road."

UNLICENSED HOSPITAL.

CHARGE AGAINST A NURSE.

FINE OF 55s IMPOSED.

The Health Department instituted a prosecution against Mrs. Arnold (Mr. Ray), a nurse, in the Police Court yesterday, before Mr J W Poynton, SM Defendant was charged with having used her house as & private hospital without the authority of a license. There were two charges, one of which was dismissed. Mr Patterson, who appeared for the prosecution said the Act provided for a fine of £5 for each day that a house was so used. Defendant was charged with having used the house as a hospital between October 21 and November 3 of last year. Evidence would be called to show that two maternity patients had been in the house at the same time. Defendant, who had lived at Glen Eden for 5 1/2 years, had been warned in 1921 that she was liable to be prosecuted. She had been convicted twice before.

For the defence, it was contended that, under the circumstances, it would have been almost criminal to turn the second patient away. Defendant made it a custom of keeping only one patient at a time, and that was allowable. A fine of 55s was imposed. Costs and expenses brought the total to £9 17s 2d. (NZ Herald 21 July 1923)

She died 19 October 1933 at West Coast Road, aged 71. Her late husband was William Arnold.

Nurse Vera Jane Crowther (later Nurse Ellis) (Waitemata Obstetric Hospital, 158 Glengarry Road 1945-1954)

According to her daughter Joan Bassett in Vela's book (p. 42), Nurse Crowther trained for nursing and midwifery at St Helens Hospital in 1936. After that, she practiced as a domiciliary midwife at Rawene in 1939, learning about "painless" childbirth after hearing a presentation at Hokianga Hospital by Dr Smith. By the description "the women still react to the pain, but after they had come to, they had forgotten about it. It was really a form of amnesia," Nurse Crowther had learned about administering "twilight sleep". A former employee said she used nembutal.

She bought 31.25 acres of land at Glen Eden in Glengarry Road (formerly owned by the Tregaski family) in 1934, and married David Robert Ellis in 1942. The Auckland Hospital Board contributed beds, furnishings and £200 toward the three-bed hospital Nurse Ellis built on the remaining land from concrete and fibrolite in 1945. In that year, the land was transferred to the Waitemata Obstetric Hospital Limited. The land was subdivided and sold off from 1948 until 1954.

Mrs Bassett recalled that there was a fire on the property, the family's house burnt down, and they lived in old apple sheds for a time, until two railway carriages were delivered to the site -- at least one set of twins were delivered in one of the carriages. The hospital was sold as a family home in 1954 (158 Glengarry Road), and Nurse Ellis returned to domiciliary midwifery. She did consider opening another bigger hospital, but by that time Lincoln Obstetric Hospital had opened (1964), negating the need for another private maternity hospital.

158 Glengarry Road, Glen Eden. March 2012, via Google Maps.

Henderson

Lincoln Maternity Hospital (1923-1926)

Nurse Kathleen Addison-Saipe (living on Lincoln Road from c.1918)

"...records of John Addison Saipe purchasing part of Lot 10 (approx.7 acres) on Lincoln Road (DP 670) in 1919 but was around in 1918 (married 1917) as found notice from several Lincoln Road orchardists re "trespassers with dog or gun" placed in NZH in May 1918. He was returned serviceman. Orchardist on electoral roll from 1919 and 1922 but no longer in 1925. Also found adverts for poultry farm for Saipe. Kathleen not listed as a nurse, simply 'married'." (Vivien Burgess, email 11 Oct 2013)

First advertised Lincoln Maternity Hospital July 1923. "Patients taken with or without doctor"

(Later moved to Powell Street in Avondale)

New Lynn

Nurse Gibson (1912-1918)

Gave up her practice January 1918 due to ill health (public notice).

Nurse Mabel Ellen Slater, "Atherstone", Astley Avenue (1923-1924)

Might be the same Nurse Slater who operated "Atherstone" from 23 Vincent Ave, Remuera, from 1924. See Remuera/ Central Isthmus.

Nurse Morgan (1928)