Nurse Broom - District Nurse Midwife - Laindon 1941-1972
Nurse Broom came to Laindon as a District Nurse Midwife in 1941. She took up residence in the Nurse’s Cottage on Laindon High Road and soon became very well known and loved in the area attending many of the home births that took place in those days. Nurse used to travel by bicycle or on foot in those early days but after a few years the local residents started a fund to get her some wheels. This resulted in a grey Austin 7 being purchased for her use and must have really made travelling a lot easier for her. We are guessing this was shortly after the war ended as the photo of the car has nurse’s young daughter Brenda posing in the driver’s seat when the car arrived. Much later on Nurse Broom used a Morris 8 for her duties. Sorry the only photo we have has only half her head on. Think the pet dog was after getting in on the shot!!! Nurse Broom completed 25 years service during 1966 and a presentation was made at Laindon Road Clinic, Billericay to honour her public service.
We had Nurse Broom deliver our first baby in 1965 at home in New Century Road as Nurse Trickey was off duty that weekend. I believe they both had alternate weekends off so took on each other’s patients when off duty. My husband was particularly pleased as Nurse Broom had delivered his younger brother David back in 1946 and she and his mother were great friends.
Nurse Broom retired from service in 1972 and had a happy and healthy retirement until her death in 2002 aged 93 years.
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Nurse Broom delivered my brother Andrew at our home, 2 Bramley Gardens, Laindon on the 18th of November 1964.
Just came across this article and memories of this lady came flooding back. I used to cycle from my home in Pound Lane to her house to wash her car once a week for two shillings.
Many local girls of a certain age have a lasting legacy due to Nurse Broom. Over the years I discovered that there are a lot of ” Brenda’s ” locally. As this is my second name and one that I am not at all that keen on I wondered why mum came to choose it. Nurse Broom delivered me in 1945 and my mother told me that in gratitude for Nurse Brooms care at my birth she chose to name me after the midwifes daughter Brenda. I have found over the years I am not alone in this discovery and wonder how many of us have the same “handle”!!!! Brenda Broom went on to become a teacher at Markhams Chase School in the 1950’s when I attended the school. I have come to the conclusion that our mothers must have been lacking in imagination or just too exhausted, either way thanks to our lovely caring local midwife her dedication to her patients lives on in many of us.
Nice little article here, Nurse Broom lived just across the road from us and looked after Mum when she had my brothers Robert in 1958 and Christopher in 1961. I remember all the supplies she brought in for the births, none of which were needed really as Mum went into Billericay Hospital on both occasions. The first time was by ambulance the second time in Dad’s Ford Prefect, both on a Saturday, Chris being born on Cup Final day ’61 when Spurs beat Leicester City 2-0! We always had respect for Nurse Broom and for Nurse Trickey, the baby boom must have been so busy for both of them .
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