28 Facts About Eva Luckes

Eva Charlotte Ellis Luckes was born in Exeter, Devon on 8 July 1854 into an upper middle-class family.

Eva Luckes's father, Henry Richard Luckes, was a bank manager and entrepreneur who invested in local railways, and mines.

Eva Luckes is said to have suffered from some physical disablement and had a horse to help her travel about the countryside.

In September 1876 Eva Luckes tried working at the Middlesex Hospital as a paying probationer for three months but she felt the work was too hard.

Eva Luckes tried again at the Westminster Hospital, and she completing her training in August 1878.

Eva Luckes clashed with the medical committee for instigating reforms to the training of nurses and she resigned.

At 26, Eva Luckes was the youngest of the five candidates interviewed and several of the Committee thought her 'too young and too pretty' and were wary of appointing someone with relatively little experience.

Eva Luckes was a valued collaborator of Nightingale's in the campaign against the state registration of nurses led by Ethel Gordon Fenwick, on which see "State Registration of Nurses".

Eva Luckes is given credit for the appointment of Sydney Holland to the London Hospital committee, where he later became treasurer and chair.

Eva Luckes raised the money for a substantial hospital expansion, including a new nurses' home.

Eva Luckes' reforms initiated in 1880 were built around a well-established plan of what she wanted to achieve; before that date there were Probationers, but their training consisted simply of one year's work on the wards, after which they were considered to be trained nurses, without examination.

Eva Luckes ensured that nurses were better provided for by seeing that meals were provided, and that better accommodation was available.

Eva Luckes sent several more from the hospital's Private Nursing Institution.

Eva Luckes improved the pay of her nurses and encouraged them to join the National Pension Scheme for Nurses that had been established.

In June 1885, Eva Luckes introduced a Private Nursing Institution, which was established in January 1886, to provide trained nurses for private patients.

Eva Luckes introduced the Preliminary Training School in 1895 at Tredegar House.

Eva Luckes's critics complained of the long hours and heavy responsibilities she expected from probationers.

Eva Luckes's achievements were undeniable and she trained nurses who taught others all over the world, including Edith Cavell.

Eva Luckes was decorated a number of times during her career, including the medals of the RRC, the CBE and Lady of Grace of the Order of Saint John.

Eva Luckes was referred to by her friend and mentor Florence Nightingale as 'Matron of Matrons' and on her death as a Matron Maker.

Eva Luckes trained over 470 matrons during her tenure, including Annie McIntosh, a Matron of St Bartholomew's Hospital, Rosalind Paget, and three Military Matrons in Chief: Ethel Hope Becher, Emma Maud McCarthy and Sarah Oram, and Susan McGahey.

Eva Luckes died on 16 February 1919, aged 64, having been Matron of The London for 39 years.

Eva Luckes was cremated and her ashes laid to rest behind a plaque on the north side of St Philip's Church, now the Medical School Library.

Matron Eva Luckes published her lectures in book form in 1884, General Nursing.

Eva Luckes produced a volume called Hospital Sisters and their Duties, which ran to four editions.

Matron Eva Luckes's achievements were recognised by: Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Royal Red Cross and Lady of Grace of the Order of Saint John.

Matron Eva Luckes is played by Cherie Lunghi in the BBC series Casualty 1906, Casualty 1907 and Casualty 1909.

Matron Eva Luckes appears as a supporting character in the opera Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man by Laurent Petitgirard.