Staff nurse Ena Sullivan

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Registration of British Nationality for Ena Clare Sullivan. Country of Nationality or Birth: Jamaica, 3 December 1968. Catalogue ref: HO 334/1406/110478 

Ena Clare Sullivan was a passenger on the Empire Windrush ship, which docked at Tilbury harbour in Essex on 22 June 1948. After arriving to Britain, Ena trained as a nurse at West Middlesex Hospital from 1948 to 1951. Her registration of British nationality reveals a significant amount of information about her story, most notably her family, employment history, and the places she lived. In the form, her occupation is listed as ‘S/N’ from 1948 to 1959, which most likely refers to Staff Nurse, Health Visitor from 1959 to 1961, and Staff Nurse from 1961 to 1968. Find out more about Ena Sullivan in this blog from The National Archives.

  • At what age did Ena apply for British citizenship in 1968? [Clue: find her date of birth on form] 
  • When did she come to Britain [Clue: find date of her first address at end of the form]  
  • What does the address tell us about what she did? 
  • Write a paragraph about her work as a nurse in Britain using both pages of the document. 
  • Why was Ena’s contribution so important in Britain at the time and afterwards? 

Transcript

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BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT 1948, SECTION 6 (1)

COMMONWEALTH IMMIGRANTS ACT 1962, 12 (2)

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION AS A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE COLONIES MADE BY A BRITISH SUBJECT OR CITIZEN OF THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND ON THE GROUND OF ORDINARY RESIDENCE OR CROWN SERVICE.

CAUTION: To give false information on this Form purposely or recklessly is a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment. (British Nationality Act 1948, Section 28 (1)).

  1. I, ENA CLARE SULLIVAN

of NEWALL HOUSE, BAGULEY, WYTHENSHAWE,MANCHESTER 2-3

am of full age and capacity and was born at ST.ANNES, JAMAICA, WEST INDIES.

On APRIL 7TH 1913.

  1. My father’s full name (was) DAVID ALEXANDER SULLIVAN

And he was born at ST. ANNES’ JAMAICA on date not known

  1. I am (single) (married) (a widower) (a widow) (divorced from my wife/husband)
  2. My (wife’s) (husband’s) full name (is) (was)

and (she) (he) was born at ________ on __________

  1. I am (a) a citizen of the following country or countries* mentioned in section 1 (3) of the British Nationality Act 1948 that is to say [insert name of country or countries.]

JAMAICA

OR   (b) a citizen of the Republic of Ireland.

OR   (c) a British subject without citizenship under section thirteen or section sixteen of the British Neutrality Act 1948.

OR   (d) a British Subject by virtue of section1 of the British National Act 1965.

by reason of the fact that [Here state the rounds on which the applicant claims to be such a citizen or British subject.] By British Nationality

  1. (a) I am ordinary resident in the United Kingdom

[Here insert the “the United Kingdom” or, if ordinarily resident in any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a colony, a protectorate, or the protected state of Brunei, the name of the island, colony, etc.]

  • (b) I am in Crown Service under Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom.
  • (a) I have been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom and Colonies during the past five years as follows:
Addresses at which ordinarily resident From (date) To (date)
WEST MIDDX.HOSPITAL U.K. JUNE 1948 SEPT 1957
PRIVATE RESIDENCE, STOKE ON TRENT SEPT 1957 MAY 1961
NEWALL HOUSE BAGULEY, MANCHESTER 23 MAY 1961 OCT. 1968
Imployed as a nurse WYTHENSHAWE Hosp.

*The countries so mentioned are Australia, Barbados, Botswana, Canada, Ceylon, Cyprus, Ghana, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Southern Rhodesia, Tanzania, The Gambia, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, and Zambia

[PAGE 2]

  1. (b) I have been in Crown service under Her Majesty’s government in the United Kingdom during the past five years as follows:

 

Department Government Capacity From (date)  To (date)
South-West Middlesex
Hospital Regional Hospital Board S/N [Staff Nurse] 1948 1957
Public Health Local Authority, Manchester Health Visitor 1957 1961
Hospital Regional Board Staff /N 1961 1968

 

  1. The special circumstances in which I desire the period of ordinary residence or Crown service shorter than five years which is mentioned in paragraph 7 above should be accepted are as follows:

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

  1. I (have) (have not) previously renounced or been deprived of citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies. [If the applicant has renounced citizenship of the United Kingdom and the Colonies, here state the date on which the declaration of renunciation was made, and if the applicant has been deprived of citizenship, state the date which, and the authority by whom, the order of the deprivation was made. I became a Jamaican citizen 1966
  2. I hereby apply to be registered as a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies. [This application must be signed in the presence of one person specified in the Appendix to the instructions.]

 

I (full name)……………………………………………………………………….

Do solemnly declare that the foregoing particulars stated in this application are true and I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true.

(Signature of applicant) Ena Clare Sullivan

 

Made and subscribed this 25th day of October 1968

Before me ELSIE SHELMERDINE at 31 YARMOUTH DRIVE

 

Signed E. Shelmerdine .J.P.

Justice of the Peace

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Return to Commonwealth migration since 1945