Beatrice Drapper - NUCO and "Angel of Deptford"

Beatrice M Drapper – Deptford “Angel of Mercy” or “Our Beatrice”

Born Deptford, South London

Student at Scott-Lidgett’s, Bermondsey University Settlement and an orignal member of the "Beatrice" Dunkin, Club for Girls

Beatrice Drapper stated "I owe all my success in life to the Settlement"

Lived at 7 Evelyn Street,

Helped in the election of Will Crook’s as MP for Woolwich, one of the first Labour MP’s

A school manager from 1902-1927, Swimming and Gymnastics lecturer for the London county Council Schools & Welfare Board

Labour Councillor for North West Ward, Deptford from 1919 – 1956 (resigned 7/3/1956)

One of the first elected women Mayor’s in Britain, Deptford Mayor 1927-1928

Married Mr E. C. Drapper also a Labour Councillor who died in 1945

Helped establish NUCO at St Alfege’s hospital, Greenwich in 1918

Helped organise the feeding of Dockers families during the 1912 dock strike and was a leading figure in the campaign against the Chair of the Port of London authority who kept the Dockers in poverty. She was not alone 

“O God strike Lord Davenport dead” prayed Dockers leader Ben Tillett

From 1919 voluntary worker for the Poor Law Workers union (later National Union of County officers and COHSE ) from 1929 – 1946 paid employee of the union.

She was heavily involved in a case involving Peggy O'Neil a nurse suffering from TB of the spine (not then an industrial injury) and a bed patient for six years, with Beatrice help she was able to help Nurse O'Neil start a new life in America.

Justice of the Peace 1921 for Blackheath division

Elected to Greenwich Board of Guardians 1907 -1930 as a Labour representative (three years as Chairman)

During the 1921 she helped feed up to one thousand Dockers at deptford Central hall during the strike "cycling from her home at 5am in the morning in order to serve breakfast".She bought two shops in Deptford and converted them into a club for striking women tin workers who she helped organise into a union, serving 200 meat and veg meals daily at 4d a meal. 

The tin workers suffered terrible conditions and were pitifully paid. When they were taken to court for daring to strike she organised coaches to take the women tin workers to the Law courts hearings

Member of Lewisham hospital management committee

Officially opened the Woodlands Nurses home for nurses, Greenwich, December 1925

Appointed Chair of Chelsea Juvenile Court in 1945

Later moved to 46 Coniston Road, Bromley, Kent

Cremated Southend cemetery 4^th December 1961

Beatrice Drapper retired December 1946 after 17years employment by the union

NUCO Guild of Nurses 1937

NUCO GUILD OF NURSES

 The badge of NUCO Guild of Nurses (estb 1937) with the Justicia symbol a remnant of the older Poor Law Workers Union. 

 The National Union of County Officers (NUCO) Guild of Nurses was established at an inaugural meeting held at St Pancras Town Hall, London on 26th November 1937 with an audience of 500 nurses. The Guild of Nurses from the start took on a pro active campaign to highlight the plight of general nurses, unlike the (Royal) College of Nursing which maintained that better pay and conditions would on lead to the "wrong type" of girl entering nursing. 

MASKED NURSES DEMONSTRATION 1938

The Guild of Nurses organised meeting, street demonstrations and disrupting meetings (such as that at the London county Council). On the 4th April 1938 a small group of masked nurses in uniform with placards dared to march through central London, the next day at 3pm on 5th April the small group had been joined by a further eight female nurses (making 12 masked nurses in white uniforms). They were stopped and turned away by Police when they tried to march down Fleet Street (The home of the British Newspapers). 

The demonstration received massive press and newsreel coverage. This was the first time "general nurses" had taken their grievances to the streets. The first Guild of Nurses organiser's were Councillor Beatrice Drapper and Iris Brook (nee Iris Beynon) followed by Doris Westmacott.

Filmed by Movietone

First Chairman of the Guild of Nurses was Tudor O Morgan (St David's - Cardiff) followed by Doris Westmacott (Mile End)

NUCO established a nursing section in April 1933

Beatrice Drapper - Deptford Angel of Mercy

Beatrice M Drapper – Deptford “Angel of Mercy” or “Our Beatrice”

Born Deptford, South London

Student at Scott-Lidgett’s, Bermondsey University Settlement and an orignal member of the "Beatrice" Dunkin, Club for Girls

Beatrice Drapper stated "I owe all my sucess in life to the Settlement"

Lived at 7 Evelyn Street,

Helped in the election of Will Crook’s as MP for Woolwich, one of the first Labour MP’s

A school manager from 1902-1927, Swimming and Gymnastics lecturer for the London county Council Schools & Welfare Board

Labour Councillor for North West Ward, Deptford from 1919 – 1956 (resigned 7/3/1956)

One of the first elected women Mayor’s in Britain, Deptford mayor 1927-1928

Married Mr E. C. Drapper also a Labour Councillor who died in 1945

Helped establish NUCO at St Alfege’s hospital, Greenwich in 1918

Helped organise the feeding of Dockers families during the 1912 dock strike and was a leading figure in the campaign against the Chair of the Port of London authority who kept the Dockers in poverty. She was not alone

“O God strike Lord Davenport dead” prayed Dockers leader Ben Tillett

From 1919 voluntary worker for the Poor Law Workers union (later National Union of County officers and COHSE ) from 1929 – 1946 paid employee of the union.

She was heavily involved in a case involving Peggy O'Neil a nurse suffering from TB of the spine (not then an industrial injury) and a bed patient for six years, with Beatrice help she was able to help Nurse O'Neil start a new life in America.

Justice of the Peace 1921 for Blackheath division

Elected to Greenwich Board of Guardians 1907 -1930 as a Labour representative (three years as Chairman)

During the 1921 she helped feed up to one thousand Dockers at deptford Central hall during the strike "cycling from her home at 5am in the morning in order to serve breakfast".She bought two shops in Deptford and converted them into a club for striking women tin workers who she helped organise into a union, serving 200 meat and veg meals daily at 4d a meal.

The tin workers suffered terrible conditions and were pitifully paid. When they were taken to court for daring to strike she organised coaches to take the women tin workers to the Law courts hearings

Member of Lewisham hospital management committee

Officially opened the Woodlands Nurses home for nurses, Greenwich, December 1925

Appointed Chair of Chelsea Juvenile Court in 1945

Later moved to 46 Coniston Road, Bromley, Kent

Cremated Southend cemetery 4^th December 1961