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Sarah Swift

1854 – 1937

Nursing administrator from England

Nurse
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About Sarah Swift

Lived 1854 – 1937 (aged 82). Sarah Swift was a British nurse.

Dame Sarah Ann Swift, GBE, RRC (22 November 1854, Kirton Skeldyke, Lincolnshire – 27 June 1937, Marylebone) was an English nurse and founder in 1916 of the College of Nursing Ltd. which became the Royal College of Nursing. The College of Nursing created the first registers of nurses, a blueprint for the introduction of Nurse registration in the United Kingdom.

Early life Swift was born on the Blossom Hall Estate at Kirton Skeldyke in Holland, Lincolnshire, the daughter of Robert Swift, a tenant farmer. She undertook training in nursing at the Royal Infirmary, Dundee (1877-1890).

The College of Nursing became the Royal College of Nursing in 1947.

In 1919 she was made Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) for her services to nursing.

In 1929 she was awarded the Florence Nightingale medal of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Legacy A ward at St Thomas Hospital is named after her.

A building at the University of Lincoln bears her name

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Important facts

Born
22 November 1854, Kirton
Birth century
19th century
Died
27 June 1937
Occupation
Nurse
Nationality
United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Education
The Thomas Cowley High School
Awards
Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire; Decoration of the Royal Red Cross; Florence Nightingale Medal
Also known as
Dame Sarah Ann Swift

People in Sarah Swift's life

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Florence Nightingale
1820 – 1910
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Contemporaries

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Charles Adolphe Wurtz
1817 – 1884
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Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard
1817 – 1894
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Franciscus Donders
1818 – 1889
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Frequently asked questions

Who was Sarah Swift?

nursing administrator from England (1854-1937)

When was Sarah Swift born?

Sarah Swift was born on 22 November 1854 in Kirton.

When did Sarah Swift die?

Sarah Swift died on 27 June 1937.

What was Sarah Swift's occupation?

Sarah Swift was a nurse.

What nationality was Sarah Swift?

Sarah Swift was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Sarah Swift

· Wikidata: Q7422812

· DBpedia: Sarah Swift

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sarah Swift. https://biography.guide/sarah-swift/

MLA: "Sarah Swift." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sarah-swift/.

Chicago: "Sarah Swift." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sarah-swift/.

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