Ethel Maud PATTISON
Wife of Dr. Charles Maitland-Pattison, Ethel Maud (e) ACTON was born in Nottingham, England, the eldest of four children of Joseph J. (born 1837) and Sarah E. ACTON (born 1859). Ethel was born in 1881, a brother Frank in 1883 and two sisters Grace E. born in 1884, and Constance M. born in 1887.
Ethel married Charles Maitland-Pattison in March 1910 at the Strand, Middlesex, England. The April 1911 Census of Ireland shows the couple living in a large house in Banbridge, County Down with 10 front windows and a cook and a coachman as live-in servants.
In 1913 Ethel was described in the press as a trained nurse.
Although confident that Ethel would have been involved in nursing activities during the Great War (in which her husband served with the Royal Army Medical Corps) to date KIPA have been unable to locate any supporting information.. She certainly accompanied and worked with her husband in his activities in the Pacific and later in Australia.
In September 1939 she travelled from Auckland to Sydney and gave her age as 54 (really 58).
Ethel died on Kangaroo Island on 4 February 1957 and is buried in the Kingscote Cemetery.
A check at the Probate Registry revealed that her husband had an old will which he had made in Fiji in which he left everything to Ethel and made her sole executrix. Ethel died intestate, but probate was granted so she there were some assets and/or real estate. KIPA's understanding is that Ethel had no known relatives.
- Chris Ward 2017
See also Wikipedia article about the Palm Island tragedy.
Newspaper articles - Gil Daw 2015
Courier 1st April, 1938 Page 3
From Mrs E. M. Maitland-Pattison reporting alterations to the premises registered by her as a hospital and desiring inspection that the registration might be extended to permit of more beds. Resolved that this application be forwarded to the Officer of Health for report.
Courier 3rd June, 1938 Page 3
“From Officer of Health recommending that Mrs Ethel Maitland-Pattison’s Premises in Township of .Kingscote be licensed as a Maternity Home to take two beds only. Received and resolved that Mrs Pattison's application be approved and the premises licensed for two beds.”
Courier 8th December, 1939 Page 2 advertisement
“ Sister Maitland-Pattison resumes duty in her private maternity hospital as from this date.”
See also "Gunyah" at Kingscote Nursing Homes
PERSONAL. (1939, October 13). The Kangaroo Island Courier (Kingscote, SA : 1907 - 1951), p. 3.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191419071