This week, with the assistance of Wikipedia and others, I am taking a look back at an outstanding island female from history. In a future piece, I will write about Sophia Goulden née Craine, a Manx woman known for being the mother of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, whose statue I, and so many others, take the time to admire at St Peter’s Square in Manchester, near where I usually stay in the city, and Mary Jane Clarke.

But firstly this week, the dedicated Nellie Brennan, born January 1792, who died just three days before her 67th birthday in 1859. She rests in a quiet place in St George’s churchyard, on the other side of the church from the cholera mass grave, and the stone bears a memorial from the Society of Nurses. A service is held in St George’s Church, and a wreath is laid at the grave by the island’s nurses every January. An artwork depicting an old-fashioned mangle draped in copper sheeting, accompanied by a basket of flowers, was unveiled in December 2021 at Nobles Hospital. The artwork was designed and prepared by Niamh Kelly, who at the time said the mangle symbolised "how important cleanliness was then and is today." Ironically, the installation of the tribute, entitled "Cleanliness is Next to Godliness," was originally planned for 2020 as part of the Isle of Man Year of the Nurse and Midwife celebrations but was delayed because of the pandemic.

Nellie was a Manx washerwoman who became instrumental in the introduction of the practices of nursing on our island. She came to prominence during the cholera outbreaks which affected Douglas in 1832 and 1833, during which she nursed those suffering from the disease. This has led to her becoming known as the "Florence Nightingale of the Isle of Man."

When Nellie Brennan was born, her Irish father, who was a boatswain on a man-of-war, had drowned at sea a few months previously. Her mother died when she was 16, requiring her to develop self-reliance and diligence.

By 1809, she had become a regular attendee of the daily early morning services at St George’s, where she met Thomas Howard, who was the curate of the church, leading Nellie to devote her life to God. In addition, she would also regularly attend the Wesleyan Chapel located in what was then called Preaching House Lane (since renamed Wellington Street).

Said to be utterly trustworthy, she earned her living as a washerwoman, being described by a contemporary report as "the best mangle woman in town."

During the years 1832 and 1833, a severe outbreak of cholera swept the island, the effects of which were particularly acute in what was by that time the largest town, Douglas. Nellie devoted herself to the nursing of those afflicted, making numerous visits to the homes of the sick and dying, and to the temporary cholera hospital, where she would prepare food, clean their clothes, and wash bodies. When the epidemic had passed, she undertook responsibility for many children who had been orphaned, some of whom were taken into her own home, and numerous testimonies exist regarding her work for the poor people of Douglas.

Although she herself escaped infection, her devotion led to her near destitution. One reason for this was a loss of business she suffered as a consequence of the help she had offered to those affected by the cholera outbreak. This resulted in certain customers refusing to send their clothes to her to be laundered, fearing that they might become infected.

Following the cholera outbreak, she was employed by the Castle Mona Hotel as a laundress, living in a small apartment near the hotel. However, due to the distance between the hotel and the town, she was unable to offer the same level of assistance to the poor and consequently decided to give up her employment and return to aiding the sick. When questioned as to the wisdom of this decision, she is said to have replied, "I dare not neglect the poor."

Having spent all her own money on the cleaning of clothes for the sufferers, her outward appearance and the cleanliness of her home masked her personal plight. She was saved by private charity, being presented with a sum of 12 guineas, of which she would only accept a small amount, donating the majority of the sum to charitable purposes.

The latter part of the 1830s saw the opening of a dispensary in Douglas, situated in what is today Strand Street. In turn, a hospital was added, and despite her illiteracy, Nellie Brennan was appointed its first matron. She was employed with an annual salary of £30 per year, in addition to which she received a house with a gas and coal allowance. Due to her devotion to the job, she suffered a breakdown after 18 months and was compelled to resign.

However, she still sought to aid the sick and the poor, known throughout the town of Douglas for her efforts to relieve distress and hardship. In her later years, Nellie Brennan achieved her ambition of having a house built for herself, making a will leaving the house to a young woman whom she had reared as her own and, following her death, to the Wesleyan connection. She became actively involved in the Douglas Dorcas Society, some of the early meetings of which took place at her home in Wesley Terrace.

"The Douglas Dorcas Society was the longest established Douglas charity, being instituted on 1st December 1834, a day set apart by Wesleyan Methodists and others of Douglas for ‘public thanksgiving to the Almighty for that merciful exemption of the town from cholera during that year.’ The purpose was to administer relief to the poor and assist with clothing. This was due to the wholesale destruction of clothes and bedding during the year, which had left many of the poorer families in the town in great need."

Following years of exposure to numerous illnesses, in the latter part of 1858, Nellie Brennan’s health started to decline dramatically. Advised to rest, she continued to collect clothes for the poor of Douglas; however, she was confined to bed during Christmas week. Nellie Brennan died at her home on 23rd January 1859, three days before her 67th birthday. Nellie Brennan’s funeral took place at St George’s Church. Seven ministers of different congregations were in attendance to pay their respects, describing her as ‘one of the most wonderful women who had ever lived on the island and one whose devotion to duty was not exceeded even by Florence Nightingale.’

As a member of the Rotary Club of Douglas, on Thursday 27th February, I will be attending the annual service of remembrance for the 67th anniversary of the Winter Hill disaster, being held in the peaceful surroundings of Cooil y Ree Park at St John’s. Everyone is invited to attend and to be present in good time prior to the commencement of the service at 11 am. The disaster, which occurred on 27th February 1958, saw 35 Manx residents lose their lives on the slopes of Winter Hill near Horwich. Strong links were formed with the Horwich Rotary Club, some members of which were involved in the aftermath of the tragedy, and these continue to this day with gratitude.