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The History of Wales
12h

The life and work of Betsi Cadwaladr were commemorated on this day 2012. There was an official service at Abney Park Cemetery, London, where Betsi is buried in a pauper's grave. The servive included the unveiling of a memorial stone and a memorial bench.

Betsi was born Elizabeth Cadwaladr in Llanycil, near Bala in 1789 as one of 16 children. She moved to Liverpool age 14 and then travelled widely before settling in London. Learning of the conditions suffered by the British soldiers wounded in the Crimean War (1853-1856), Betsi joined the military nursing service. Her first post was in a hospital run by Florence Nightingale, but after working there for many weeks, Betsi ran out of patience with Nightingale's incessant bureaucracy and red tape and made her way nearer to the frontline at Balaclava. Working in Balaclava, Betsi became the unsung heroine of the Crimean War, saving countless lives as she worked tirelessly to improve the unhygienic conditions. Eventually she even gained the respect of Florence Nightingale. In 1855, one year before the war ended, Betsi contracted cholera and dysentery and was forced to return home. She died five years later in 1860 and was buried in a pauper's grave.

The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is the largest health organisation in Wales. It provides health services for the six counties of North Wales, parts of Mid-Wales, Cheshire and Shropshire and is named in her honour.

ieuan 7 Aug 2
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