Who was Edith Cavell?

Edith Cavell was a British nurse during the First World War. She is celebrated for saving the lives of soldiers from both sides and in helping over 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium.

A Small Village in Swardeston

Edith Louisa Cavell was born on December 4th 1865 in Swardeston, a small village not far from Norwich in Norfolk where her father was the Reverend. She was the eldest of four siblings, Florence, Mary and John. Her childhood was in some ways idyllic, drawing and painting flowers in the summer months and ice skating in the winter months.

Nursing Career

After living and working in Belgium as a Governess, Edith returned to Swardeston when her father became very unwell and assisted with nursing him back to health. It is believed that this is when Edith was inspired to become a nurse.

In 1896, Edith began her training at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, under Matron Eva Lückes, a friend of Florence Nightingale. After completing her nurse training in 1898, Edith held a number of roles in British hospitals before being invited back to Brussels to nurse a sick child. Edith was invited to be Matron of the first Nursing School in Belgium, L’École Belge d’Infirmières Diplômées’.

An Appeal

At the time, millions of soldiers and civilians owed their lives to the dedication, self-sacrifice and hard work of nurses. In 1917, The Daily Telegraph and The Mirror newspapers launched a national appeal for funds in her memory, raising £12,500. The fund was intended to be used for nurses “shattered mentally and physically, who have sought the health of others at the expense of their own.”

The fund came to be known as the Nation’s Fund for Nurses, which later became Cavell Nurses’ Trust, and today exists as Cavell.

Cavell is a charity set up in Edith Cavell’s name. We support UK nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants when they are facing a personal or financial crisis, or suffering hardship. To find out how we help, click here.

‘Edith’ – A short documentary on the life of Edith Cavell, directed by Ivo Wasdell Harris.