The Shaw Family

In Perth there were many families that were prominent in both the early years of settlement, and remained prominent literally through to contemporary times. The "Shaw" family would certainly be one of those names. Business owners, lawyers, real estate impresarios: it is impossible to document the totality of their involvement to more than just the Perth area.

Perhaps of special interest however is Flora Madeline Shaw, Internationally recognized pioneer of nursing and nursing education.

Born January 15, 1864, Flora Madeline Shaw was a descendant of two of Perth's most prominent families. She was one of five daughters and three sons born to Henry Dowsley Shaw and Flora Madeline Matheson.

Likely inspired by her aunt Johanna 'Joan' Matheson, Flora attended the Training School for Nurses at Montreal General Hospital in 1894. Following her graduation she worked briefly in Montreal and Boston before returning to school in 1904, enrolling at Columbia University Teachers' College in New York. She was awarded her diploma in 1906 with a major in Teaching for Nursing and a minor in Hospital Economics.

During World War 1, Flora was unable to participate with the Army Nursing Corps due to her age - she was 50 when the war began. Instead, she went to work with the Canadian Patriotic Fund (CPF) as a volunteer social worker, assisting families of soldiers sent to fight in Europe. 

In the years following WW1, she worked on a committee promoting university education for nurses. This led to an offer from McGill University to become the first Director of the newly-established McGill School for Graduate Nurses - the only school of its kind in the county at the time. Students under Shaw's direction came to fill leadership roles in the nursing world throughout Canada and the US.

In 1926, Shaw was elected President of the Canadian Nurses' Association (CNA) and represented the CNA in July 1927 at the annual International Council of Nurses held in Geneva, Switzerland. While waiting to sail back to Canada, she fell ill. A few days later on August 27, 1927, she passed away from a pulmonary embolism.

For more information from local author Ron Shaw visit: A Life Well Spent, A Work Well Done

Other articles on the Shaw family include:

Liberal in Opinion and Broad in his Views ... an article on James Shaw (1798-1878) and the famous "Shaw's of Perth".

Born at Perth: Making Their Mark ... look for the article on Kathleen "Kate" Dowsley Shaw (1874-1958) and her military service.