Lucy Nettie Fletcher (February 18, 1886 – May 6, 1918) was a British-born American nurse who died while on active duty in France during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Biography

Fletcher was born in

Grouville Grouville is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey in the Channel Islands. The parish is around east of St Helier. The parish covers a surface area of 4,354 vergées (7.8 km²). The parish includes the south-east portion of the main island o ...

Isle of Jersey An isle is an island, land surrounded by water. The term is very common in British English. However, there is no clear agreement on what makes an island an isle or its difference, so they are considered synonyms. Isle may refer to: Geography * Is ...

, England, February 18, 1886. She was the daughter of Charles George Ellis and Nettie Murdock (Binet) Fletcher, and the granddaughter of Rev. William and Lucy Antoinette (Murdock) Binet. Fletcher's father and grandfather were English, but on her mother's side, she was descended from

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

families, Mason, Dedham, and Robert Murdock, who emigrated to

Roxbury, Massachusetts Roxbury () is a Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood within the City of Boston, Massachusetts. Roxbury is a Municipal annexation in the United States, dissolved municipality and one of 23 official neighborhoods of Boston used by the city for n ...

, in 1692. She had a brother, Vivian F. Fletcher, and three sisters. In 1902, she came to

Concord, New Hampshire Concord () is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2020 census the population was 43,976, making it the third largest city in New Hampshire behind Manchester and Nashua. The village of ...

, to make her home with her aunts, the Misses Eliza M., Alice L., and Maude B. Binet. Lucy Nettie Fletcher

She was educated at St. Mary's School (now White Mountain School) one year; high school, 1902; and graduated from

Radcliffe College Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and functioned as the female coordinate institution for the all-male Harvard College. Considered founded in 1879, it was one of the Seven Sisters colleges and he ...

, A.B., 1910. Fletcher began training as a secretary in the Associated Charities of Boston. She graduated from the nursing school at

Massachusetts General Hospital Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General or MGH) is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School located in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the third oldest general hospital in the United Stat ...

, February 1916, and became night supervisor in that hospital. She was a member of the

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Woman's College Club, St. Mary's Alumnae Association, and Radcliffe Alumnae Association. In religion, she was

Episcopalian Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the l ...

. In June 1917, she left for France with the U.S. Army Base Hospital, No. 6, to which she belonged, joining the front in July of that year. She became head nurse in one of the medical wards.

Death and legacy

Fletcher contracted

meningitis Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Other symptoms include confusion or ...

and died May 6, 1918. She was buried with full military honors in the first grave in the officers' cemetery. She was the first

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

nurse in

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Pershing's army to die in the performance of duty. Fletcher's name, along with that of two other Radcliffe alumni, is inscribed on a tablet at

Memorial Church of Harvard University The Memorial Church of Harvard University is a building on the campus of Harvard University. It is an inter-denominational Protestant church. History Predecessors The first distinct building for worship at Harvard University was Holden Chapel, b ...

References

Attribution

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fletcher, Lucy Nettie 1886 births 1918 deaths American Red Cross personnel American women nurses Civilians killed in World War I Nurses killed in World War I Female nurses in World War I World War I nurses Nurses from Massachusetts Deaths from meningitis Neurological disease deaths in France Infectious disease deaths in France Radcliffe College alumni Massachusetts General Hospital people Jersey emigrants to the United States