PRESENTATION OF THE RED CROSS TO MISS CRISP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6995, 18 April 1884, Page 6

PRESENTATION OF THE RED CROSS TO MISS CRISP.

-TZZ. ; • ' - II is with great,pleasure .that we notice that' Kin Excellehcy.the Governor'will present on Saturday (to-morrow), at half-past four p.m., to Miss Crisp," the' Lady Superintendent of the Auckland'Hoapital, the decoration of the Royal Bed Cross, lately conferred on her by Her Majesty the Queen. ' Many old residents of Auckland will remember military, parades, at which:rewards for gallant services in the field have been presented to distinguished soldiers, but this case has 'a somewhat different and a more interesting aspect. It is not; merely a medal that ia to be. pinned on. the breast of a veteran, bnt it is the badge of an order that haa been instituted by Her Majesty m recognition of special devotion and competency displayed in nursing sick and wounded soldiers and sailors. The Bed Cross ia an order of which the Queen herself is the head, and which includes amongst ita members the Boyal Princesses/ and other noble ladies who have distinguished them«elves by their special exertions on behalf of-thoee who have suffered whilst 6ghting the battles of their country, or from diseases contracted whilst serving in different oarts of the globe. It is the Victoria Cross for ladies —its golden emblem more appropriate to them than the dull hard bronze with its glorious words, and bearing the gentler 'and nobler inscription of " Faith, Hope, and [ Charity" emblazoned upon it. It does not proclaim deeds of valour, though perhaps never has there -been courage of a higher quality than has been displayed by some of these nursing sisters who have followed our armies into the field, and shared their dangers and privations. It is the Hallmark of preoious metal, and stamps the wearer as" possessing the highest qualities of woman-kind, and as engaged in their noblest worki-the alleviation of suffering and.the solace of the dying. It. is but a short time ago that the Dews came from home, giving an. account of the honour done to the nursing ladies on their investiture with the Royal Red Cross. They were summoned to Windsor, and Her Majesty the Queen, in presence of her Court, herself presented the decoration to these ladies. Had Miss Crisp been in England, she wonld have been present. The decoration has been forwarded by the Marquis of Hattington to this country, and His Excellenoy the Governor, the representative of our Sovereign, will confer the honour upon Miss Crisp, and a very pleasing duty it will be, for none can appreciate ijhe honour due to her better than military men, in which class His Excellency holds euch a high position. ' ■ . . . We give a brief narrative o£ Miss. Crisp's services: Every citizen of Auckland will join'' in congratulations at the emphatic recognition of these which' Her Majesty haa accorded, and will feel glad that the lady so honoured occupies amongst tie the high position of ladysnperintendent at the hospital. Miss Annie Alice Crisp entered Queens Hospital, Birmingham, as an assistant nurse in 1873; then took head nurse's place at the Boyal United Hospital, Bath, and was there for two years. In 1876 she entered H.M.'s service as nursing sister at Netley Hospital, and was moved to the Herbert Hospital at Woolwich in 1577. Miss Crisp was sent out with the troops to Zululand in 1579. She landed at Durban, and went on to the Field Hospital at Fort Anuiel, Newcastle, living in a small mud hut or ambulance waggon. Several hnndred eick and wounded soldiers were treated in this hospital. " After being there three or four months, she proceeded with a convoy of sick to Pietermaritzburg, and returned home from there after an absence of 12 months, and resumed her old position in the Herbert Hospital. She was selected to accompany the troops to Kgypt, and landed at Ismailia, where a Field Hospital was established for the wounded from the front. Remained there till the last,, and accompanied arid nursed the more serious cases of the wounded on their way home in a transport vessel. She then retired from the service to join her mother in Auckland. 3he has received the Egyptian medal and Khedive's Star, but as yet the South African medal has not been granted to the nursing Bisters; Holds a certificate from the Ambulance Association of St. John of Jerusalem, and has a Diploma from the Obstetrical Society of London. . . , The following is the royal proclamation instituting the order, as published in the London Gazette :— •

"War Office, April 27— Victoria B.—Whereas we have been pleased to take into consideration the serrices rendered by certain persons in nnrsing the tick and wounded of our Army and Kavy, and have resolvedspecially to recognise individual instances of special devotion in suoh service; now, for the purpose ol attaining this erd, we have Instituted, constituted, and created, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, do institute, constitute, and create a decoration, to be designated as hereinafter prescribed ; and we are pleased to make, ordain, and establish the following rules and ordinances for the government oi the same, which shall from henceforth be inviolably observed and kept:—" First: The decoration shall be ttyled and derignated 'The Boyal Red Cross,'and shall consist of a cross, enamelled crimson, edged with sold, having on the arms thereof the words Faith, Hope and Charity, with the date oi the institution of the decoration ; the centre having thereon eur effig/. On the reverse side our .Royal and Imperial cipher and crown shall be shown in relief on the centre. Secondly: The cross shall be attached to a dsrk-blue riband edged red, of one inch in width, tied in a bow and worn on the left shoulder. Thirdly: The decoration m»y be worn by the Queen Regnant, the Queen Consort, or the Queen Dowager of the United Kingdon of Great' Britain and Ireland ; "and it shall be competent for us, pur heirs and successors, to confer the decoration upon any of the Princesses of the Boyal' Family of Great Britain and Ireland. Fourthly: It shall be competent for as, onr heirs and successors, to confer the. decoration, upon any ladies, whether subjects or foreign persons, who ra»y bo recommended to our notice by our Secretary of State for Y/ar for special exertions in providing for the nursing, or for attending to, sicSr. and wounded * soldiers and sailors. Fifthly: It shall, be competent for us, our heirs and successors, to confer this decoration- upon any nursing sister, whether subjects or foreign persons, who may be recommended to our notice by our Secretary of Stato for War, or, as the ease may. be, • by tbo First Lord of the Admiralty through onr said Secretary of State, for special devotion and competency which they may have displayed In their nursing duties with our Army in the field, or in onr naval and military hospitals, sixthly: The names of those upon whom we may be pleased to confer the decoration shall be published in the Jjonuon Gazette, and a regietry theieof kept in the office of our Secretary of State lor War. Lastly: In order to mane such additional provision as shall effectually preserve Dare this honourable distinction, it is ordained that if any person' on whom snch distinction shall be conferred shall by her conduct become unworthy of it, her name shall be erased, by an order under our sign manual from the register .of those upon whom the 'said decoration shall have been conferred. And is is hereby declared that we, our heirs and succetsors, "shall be ths sole judge of the conduct which may require the erasure from the register of the name of the offending person; and" that it shall at all times be competent for us, our heirs and successors, to restore the name if each restoration should be justified by the ' circumstances of the case. Given at our Court at Osborne, this 23rd day of *April, 1883, in the ißih year of our reign.—(By Her Majesty's command) Hakiihgios." . . . .