Elizabeth Gibson

1854 - 1942  (88 years)

• Name	Elizabeth Gibson
  Born	1854	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Gender	Female
  Interesting	education, medical
  Residence	1861	North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  	Free Church
  Residence	1871	North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  	C. Presb.
  Residence	1881	North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	Presbyterian Canada
  Occupation	1891	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Matron
  Residence	1891	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Presbyterian
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-111542
  Died	Jan 1942	Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada
  Person ID	I111542	Generations
  Last Modified	28 Jan 2025

  
  

  Father	David Gibson,   b. 1816, St. Vigeans, Arbroath, , Angus, Scotland ,   d. 7 Oct 1897, North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 81 years)
  Mother	Sarah Jane Jamieson,   b. 1823, Loughborough Twp., Frontenac Co., Ontario ,   d. 1 Dec 1893, North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 70 years)
  Married	6 Nov 1846	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Family ID	F29231	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  Elizabeth Gibson Elizabeth Gibson, the first superintendent of the Galt Hospital.

  
  

• Notes

  Elisabeth Gibson was the first superintendent of the Galt Hospital and was born in Galt a child of David Gibson and Sarah Jamieson. She attended the Toronto Hosptial School of Nursing and in Dec 1889 was hired by the trustees of the Galt Hospital to serve as the Lady Superintendent at $240 per month. After 5 years she resigned she cared for her semi-invalid father and after his dying she moved west and became a deaconess and missionary in the Presbyterian church. Cambridge Mosaic , Jim Quantrell, 1998, City of Cambridge [abbreviated snippet from original text in book] ___________________________ Elizabeth Gibson, the first superintendent of the Galt Hospital, was born in Galt, one of six children of David Gibson and Sarah Jamieson. She attended the Toronto Hospital School of Nursing at a time when the school was in its infancy and in December 1889 was hired by the trustees of the Galt Hospital to serve as the Lady Superintendent of the hospital. She took on this responsibility at a time when it was the opinion of many in the town that the hospital was a needless and useless expense since there were no poor or homeless in the town. As the first superintendent Miss Gibson became a leader in changing the opinion of many about the usefulness of a local hospital and was instrumental in establishing the Galt Hospital as a reputable institution. When the hospital opened in 1891 her staff consisted of three domestics, a caretaker and two student nurses. In return for a salary of $240 per year, Miss Gibson took on the duties of secretary, treasurer, admitting and discharging officer, dispenser, head nurse and housekeeper. The rules and regulations governing behaviour in the Galt Hospital submitted by Miss Gibson and adopted by the Board of Trustees demonstrated her professional knowledge of hospitals and their administration. Although some of the rules now appear outdated, some of them are not so different to those in place today. Nurses were always to keep themselves clean and neat and to conduct themselves in a quiet, orderly and kind manner at all times. In 1895, after serving five years as superintendent at the Galt Hospital, Miss Gibson resigned. She stated at the time that although she loved her work, she was "worked and worn out", and needed the time to care for her semi-invalid father. He father died two years later and Miss Gibson moved west and became a deaconess and missionary in the Presbyterian church. She was admitted to Ewart College in 1910 and graduated on April 4, 1911. She then served in Grosvenor and Cooke's Churches. Miss Gibson retired as a deaconess in 1936 and entered Belmont Nursing Home in Toronto where she died in January 1942. Cambridge Hall of Fame

  
  

• Sources

  [S205] Census - ON, Waterloo, North Dumfries - 1881, Div. 1 Page 7. [S1778] Census - ON, Waterloo, North Dumfries - 1861, Div 10 Page 79. [S355] Census - ON, Waterloo, North Dumfries - 1871, Div. 3, Pg. 3. [S1800] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1891, Sec. 1 Page 106.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 1854 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Free Church - 1861 - North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - C. Presb. - 1871 - North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Presbyterian Canada - 1881 - North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Matron - 1891 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Presbyterian - 1891 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - Jan 1942 - Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth