Nurse, Voluntary Aid Detachment, St. John Ambulance Brigade.
Early life:
Isabella was born on the 17th of January 1886 and her birth was registered in the first quarter of the year in Keighley.
Her parents were Richard and Martha Ellen Waller. She was baptised on the 6th of July 1890 at St. Michael and All Angel’s Church in Haworth, along with her sister Annie aged two and her brother John aged just a few months. Her father Richard was a stone quarryman.
In the 1891 census she was aged five and had a 10 year old step-brother Bertram Harry Rhodes, 7 year old brother Fielden, 3 year old sister Annie Priscilla, and a 10 month old baby brother called John. They were all living with their parents at 17-19 Stanbury.
By 1901 Isabella was fifteen and a worsted spinner. She was living at 20, Wesley Place in Keighley with her parents, 20 year old step-brother Bertram Rhodes, 17 year old brother Fielden, 13 year old sister Annie Priscilla, 8 year old brother Clarence Rhodes and a 5 year old sister Elizabeth. Her brother John was not listed because he died aged two in March of 1893, which was between the census dates.
Isabella married Walter John Andrews on the 18th of August 1906 in St. John’s Church at Ingrow. Isabella was aged 20 and living at 25, Wheat Street, Ingrow whilst Walter was 23 and a fitter living at 4, Ivy Street, Spring Bank.
By 1909 they had a daughter, Nellie who was baptised on the 17th of October that year at St John’s Church and they were living at 7, Alma Street. Walter was working as an iron fitter.
In the 1911 census Isabella was 25 years of age and they had moved to 9 Bracken Street at Spring Bank. Walter was working as a machine tool fitter and Isabella was a weaver at a worsted mill making stuff dress goods.
War service:
During the Great War they were living at 11, Sykes Lane in Oakworth when Isabella joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment in 1915 and trained with the St. John Ambulance Brigade. She served as a nurse, principally on night duty at the Morton Banks War Hospital and at the Spencer Street Auxiliary Hospital and she completed a total of 859 hours service until May 1919, around the time the hospitals closed as war hospitals.
Post war:
In the 1921 census Isabella aged 35 and Walter aged 37 were living at Sykes Bottom with their daughter Nellie who was aged eleven and attending school whole time. Isabella was on home duties and Walter was an inspector of finished machines for Dean Smith and Grace Limited at the Worth Valley Tool Works in Keighley.
Isabella died in 1921 at the age of 35 and her death was registered at Keighley in the last quarter of the year.
Walter was living with Emily Andrews at Exley Crescent in Keighley during the 1939 register. He died aged 81 in the second quarter of 1965, registered in the Worth Valley.
Isabella’s brothers Bertram, Fielden and Clarence all served in the war and all appear to have survived.
Information sources:
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915.
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1910.
England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975.
1891 England Census.
1901 England Census.
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915.
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1910.
1911 England Census.
British Army, British Red Cross Society Volunteers 1914-1918.
Red Cross VAD cards.
1921 England Census.
1939 Register.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007.
West Yorkshire, England, Electoral Registers, 1840-1962.
