St Crispin’s Hospital, Northampton: Sister Dolly’s Autograph Book

Available for over a year

Sister Doris ‘Dolly’ Derham worked at Duston War Hospital in Northampton during World War One. She kept an autograph book which she asked wounded soldiers in her care to sign. Some left just their name and rank; others penned poems and jokes and others drew sketches. The recurring themes from the soldiers drawn from Britain, Australia and Canada relate to life in the trenches, women, humour (sometimes risqué), messages to parents and the nursing staff. The hospital, known as Berrywood Asylum before the war, became a Red Cross Hospital in 1915; 25,000 soldiers were treated there before it went back to being an asylum at the end of the war. Sister Dolly stayed at the hospital until she retired. The book stayed in the family after her death – a copy was given to local historian Sandra Bemrose who spoke to the BBC. Location: Former site of St Crispin’s Hospital, Northampton NN5 4BL Image shows St Crispin’s Hospital Presented by historian Sandra Bemrose