Miss Mabel Caroline Colpoys Wood
Housemaid, Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD), British Red Cross
Date of Birth: 12th December, 1872
Place of Birth: Skillington, Lincolnshire
Date of Death: 4th October, 1961 at the Royal Free Hospital, Gray's Inn Road, London
VAD hat badge
Miss Mabel Caroline Colpoys Wood of Coombe Bank, Teignmouth, Devon.
Mabel's father Andrew Wood, was born in Bengal, India (his occupation was described as a "clergyman with cure of souls") and Mabel's mother Caroline Wood (née Colpoys), was born in in Droxford, Hampshire.
Mabel had six siblings (Agatha Grace, Sumner, Arthur, Eliott, Claud, Russel, Bertha Margaret and Violet Anne).
The 1911 census shows Mabel as born in Skillington, Lincolnshire. At this point she was living with her elder brother Eliott and a general servant at 6 Avenue Terrace, Teignmouth.
Mabel was aged 45 when she was engaged as a housemaid with the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD).
Mabel's father died on the 30th September, 1917, shortly after she was engaged with the VAD. Her mother died in Devon on the 2nd February 1919 whilst Mabel was serving.
In 1925 Mabel was still single and was living in Teignmouth at St James Vicarage when she set off from Southampton to Algeria with a 2nd Class ticket. Her occupation was listed as "None".
The 1939 England and Wales register shows Mabel's date of birth and that she was staying with family at the Rectory in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. Mabel is shown as having private means and as usually living in London. She died a spinster in London on the 4th October, 1961 aged 89.
Her father, and her brothers Claude, Eliot and Sumner all had the title Reverend.
Date of engagement with VAD:
August 1917 - 1st November 1918
19th September, 1918 - still serving April 1919
Rank: Housemaid (Full-time)
Duties: Pantry, house and kitchen work
Service rendered at:
No.1 Hospital Exeter. August 1917 - September 1917.
Westford Red Auxiliary Hospital, Droitwich, Worcestershire. May 1918 - September 1918.
4th Canadian General Hospital. Basingstoke, Hampshire. Nov: 1918 - March 14th, 1919.
Returned to Westford Red Auxiliary Hospital, Droitwich, Worcestershire April 1st, 1919 Still serving.
Paid: £26 per annum - from November 1st, 1918 to March 14th, 1919 otherwise nil.
Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Cards
Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Card. ©2018 British Red Cross (CC BY-NC 2.0 UK)
Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Card. ©2018 British Red Cross (CC BY-NC 2.0 UK)
