Friends of the Somme - Mid Ulster Branch  
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Updates for Nurse Marjorie Gaussen Kinley
Date Information
10/02/2019 The 1911 census does not list Marjorie as living with the family at house 1 in Bloomhill Demesne, Tullyniskane. Hugh Washington Kinley was a farmer.
10/02/2019 From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 28th September 1918: Miss Marjorie Gaussen Kinley, Bloomhill
10/02/2019 In July 1918, Nurse Kinley was again compelled owing to serious breakdown in health. This time, unfortunately, rest did not restore her to health.
10/02/2019 In May 1917, Nurse Kinley went to the Military Hospital at Herne Bay, While at Herne Bay, she had to carry on during air raids with shell-shock patients.
10/02/2019 From September 1916 till the following May, however, she worked at the Brooke Street Facial Hospital, where she assisted in many interesting cases.
10/02/2019 After some months rest she took up nursing again in 1st London General Military Hospital, which after two months over-work, resulted in another breakdown in health.
10/02/2019 Marjorie remained there until forced to give up by illness in August 1915.
10/02/2019 Nurse Marjorie Kinney died of illness on 18th September 1918.
10/02/2019 In 1911, Marjorie would have been fifteen. Her elder brother Clifford was boarding at Portora Royal School in Enniskillen, so it must be assumed that she too was at boarding school.
10/02/2019 Nurse Marjorie Kinney’s remains were brought home and she was buried in the family plot in Old Donaghendry Cemetery, near Stewartstown.
10/02/2019 The 1901 census lists Marjorie as age 5 living with the family at house 1 in Bloomhill Demesne, Tullyniskane, County Tyrone. The children’s parents were not resident. They had an English governess.
10/02/2019 Known family: Hugh Washington Kinley, Edith Caroline Magill Kinley, W Vera Kinley (born about 1885, Kingstown, County Dublin), Hugh Maurice Brooks Kinley (born 12th September 1886, Portrush), Gerald Kinley (born 25th August 1888, Portrush), Muriel Gaussen Kinley (born 3rd July 1889, Portrush), Clifford Martin Kinley (born 14th October 1893, Portrush), Marjorie Gaussen Kinley (born 10th December 1895, Portrush)
10/02/2019 Marjorie Kinley was born on 10th December 1895 in the Portrush area. She was the youngest of at least six children.
10/02/2019 Marjorie Gaussen Kinley was the youngest daughter of Hugh Washington Kinley and Edith Caroline Magill Kinley. Hugh Kinley and Edith Magill were married on 15th March 1883 in the district of Cookstown.
10/02/2019 The announcement of the death of Miss Marjorie Kinley (youngest daughter of Mr H Wash Kinley of Bloomhill) came as a shock to a wide circle of friends and the community generally. That her early death was as much in the service of her country as that of any brave volunteer in the field of battle, increases the deep regret. Miss Kinley, when only eighteen years of age, shortly after the war broke out, offered her services as a nurse and began work at Queen’s Children’s Hospital, Bethnal Green, where she remained until forced to give up by illness in August 1915. After some months rest she took up nursing again in 1st London General Military Hospital, which after two months over-work, resulted in another breakdown in health. From September 1916 till the following May, however, she worked at the Brooke Street Facial Hospital, where she assisted in many interesting cases, and from there went to the Military Hospital at Herne Bay, and received her red stripe for efficiency, after holding the responsible position of staff nurse for over a year. While at Herne Bay, she had to carry on during air raids with shell-shock patients, but she regarded her work as a duty to the country, which rendered it a pleasure. Her kindness was greatly appreciated by many soldiers who she had helped back to convalescence (the hospital receiving fresh cases from France), and she received numerous letters of gratitude from former patients when she was again compelled to relinquish her post two months ago owing to serious breakdown in health. This time, unfortunately, rest did not restore her to health, and on the advice of Professor Campbell, she went to a nursing home in Belfast where she succumbed, to the intense grief of all those who were privileged to know her.
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10/02/2019 Shortly after the war broke out, when only eighteen years of age, Marjorie Kinley offered her services as a nurse and began work as a Volunteer Aid Detachment (V.A.D.) nurse at Queen’s Children’s Hospital, Bethnal Green, London.
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10/02/2019 From the Belfast Newsletter dated 18th August 1917:
10/02/2019 From the report above it can be seen that the nurse living at Bloomhill with the family, Nurse Sarah Elizabeth Sullivan, had been engaged for some time teaching First Aid and Nursing classes in Newmills and Stewartstown. This may way well be where Marjorie and her sisters got their interest in nursing. Nurse Sarah Sullivan went on to work at the U.V.F. hospital at Pau in France.
10/02/2019 Mr Gerald B Kinley, second son of Mr H Wash Kinley, Bloomhill, Dungannon, has got a commission in the Royal Irish Fusiliers. He was educated in Scotland and obtained his degree in Engineering. When the war broke out, he was engaged as a Civil Engineer on a railway extension of the Western Railway in the Argentine. He threw up his appointment and volunteered and is now waiting in Tipperary with his regiment for orders to go to the front. His youngest brother Clifford has also adopted engineering as a profession, and almost finished his apprenticeship in Leeds when Kitchener’s call came. He volunteered with the Leeds Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment and is now in camp. Mr Kinley’s eldest son Maurice, who is in Canada, also volunteered for the Canadian contingent, but as he had recently had an attack of rheumatic fever, which weakened his heart, he was not able to pass the high medical standard required for the Canadian force. Mr Kinley is very proud of the spontaneous offers of service by his three sons, so widely separated in their work, and that the family have given themselves entirely to the campaign. It may be mentioned that Nurse S E Sullivan, also of Bloomhill, has been engaged for some time teaching First Aid and Nursing classes in Newmills, Stewartstown etc, has volunteered and been accepted by St John’s Ambulance for foreign service, and is now working at Pau in France. The country at large might well take an example from Bloomhill.
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10/02/2019 From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 24th October 1914: (Gerald Kinley -brother of Marjorie Kinley)
10/02/2019 On the advice of Professor Campbell, she was admitted to a nursing home in Belfast.
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10/02/2019 CAPTAIN G B KINLEY, Gold Coast Regiment, second son of Mr H W Kinley, Bloomhill, Dungannon, has been awarded the Military Cross for gallantry and devotion to duty in the field. With thirty men, he captured 300 Germans during operations in East Africa.
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10/02/2019 Nurse Kinley received her red stripe for efficiency on 16th June 1918, after holding the responsible position of staff nurse for over a year.
10/02/2019 Both other sisters, Muriel and Vera, also served as Volunteer Aid Detachment nurses during the war. Two brothers served. The third, because of ill health, was not allowed to enlist with the Canadians.
10/02/2019 During the autumn of 1917, a series of 'stripes' were introduced for VADs to wear on the sleeve of their dresses, and there were different colours to signify different things. White stripes were issued to denote length of service for VADs working for the Joint War Committee, and red stripes to VADs under contract to the War Office to denote that they had been certificated as 'efficient' by their Matron and Commanding Officer. Late in the war, JWC nurses could also be awarded efficiency stripes which were blue in colour.
10/02/2019 Nurse Marjorie Kinney is not listed with the CWGC.
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