Lucy Wilson Wamsley (1871–16 April 1947) was a hospital matron and Lady Inspector for the Local Government Board.Rogers, Sarah (2022). 'A Maker of Matrons'? A study of Eva Lückes's influence on a generation of nurse leaders: 1880–1919' (unpublished PhD thesis, University of Huddersfield, April 2022). Before the First World War she held the prestigious post of Principal Matron in the Territorial Force Nursing Service for five years and organised and ran the First Northern Military Hospital.

Early life Wamsley was born in Haslingden, Rossendale, Lancashire, in 1871. She was the second of nine children born to John Maydew Wamsley, a Wesleyan minister, and his wife Jane Elisa.Jane Elisa Wamsley, RG14/30357, 9; The General Record Office, The England and Wales Census 1911 for Jesmond St Andrew, Northumberland; The National Archives, Kew [Available at: www.ancestry.co.uk, accessed on 4 November 2024] The family moved around during her childhood, and in 1881 they lived in Leeds and in 1891 in Wolverhampton.Lucy Wilson Wamsley, RG11/ 4521, 20; The General Record Office, The England and Wales Census 1881 for North East Leeds; The National Archives, Kew [Available at: www.ancestry.co.uk, accessed on 4 November 2024]Lucy W. Wamsley, RG12/ 2226, 124; The General Record Office, The England and Wales Census 1891 for St John's, Wolverhampton; The National Archives, Kew [Available at: www.ancestry.co.uk, accessed on 11 November 2024]

Training Wamsley worked at Birmingham Children's Hospital for two years before moving to The London Hospital, Whitechapel, in 1893.Lucy Wilson Wamsley, Register of Probationers; RLHLH/N/1/4, 164; Barts Health NHS Trust Archives and Museums, London She trained under matron Eva Luckes as a Paying Probationer before completing her training as a Regular Probationer in October 1895.

Career After Wamsley completed her training she worked at The London as a Holiday Sister; Night Sister and Ward Sister for five years.Lucy Wilson Wamsley, Register of Sisters and Nurses; RLHLH/N/4/1, 165; Barts Health NHS Trust Archives and Museums, London.

In 1900 she was recommended by Luckes as matron to reorganise the nursing department of the failing Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, and took staff including Mary Pinsent with her. She resigned after 18 months. From May 1902 she was Matron of the London Hospital Herman de Stern Convalescent Home in Felixstowe, Suffolk until 1908.Matron’s Annual Letter to Nurses, No.2, Matron's Annual Letter to Nurses, 1894–1916; RLHLH/N/7/2, No. 2, June 1895, 29; Barts Health NHS Trust Archives and Museums, London

In February 1908 Wamsley was appointed Matron, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, a post she held until 1913. From 1909 she also held the post of Principal Matron in the Territorial Force Nursing Service until 1913. Wamsley was in charge of the First Northern Hospital, with 120 nurses, which was one of a network of military hospital's established nationwide to provide trained nurses in the event war broke out. She would have been selected for this prestigious and responsible position because of her position as matron of the 280 bedded hospital and leadership skills within the profession. As a Principal Matron she had significant responsibility and would have been in overall charge of the nursing departments in the area.

In about 1913 Wamsley was appointed by John Burns at the Ministry of Health to be a Lady Inspector in the Local Government Board, Scarborough, Yorkshire.Matron’s Annual Letter to Nurses, No. 20, Matron's Annual Letter to Nurses, 1894–1916; RLHLH/N/7/2, No.20, April 1913, 46; Barts Health NHS Trust Archives and Museums, London Initially she was an Inspector for The Homes of Children who were boarded out, and then she inspected Poor Law Hospitals. Initially she met much opposition, but she is credited with improving the London County Council Hospitals.

Wamsley was an early member of the College of Nursing and joined in 1919, indicating she supported the Registration of Nurses Bill.Wamsley, Lucy Wilson; [Royal] College of Nursing, Register of Nurses (1923), 625; Available via Ancestry

Retirement Wamsley retired in 1937 and took holidays to Switzerland and spent time in South Africa with Louisa Adlam, another London Hospital nurse who was Senior Matron of the Rhodesian Nursing Service.

Wamsley retired to Bexhill, in Sussex, where she died on 16 April 1947.

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