26/03/2026
"Throughout the 1800s and 1900s, the role of Matron was vital at The Infants' Home. The Matron oversaw the nursing staff and the admission and discharge of women and children. Matrons lived on-site and were on-call 24 hours a day, sometimes receiving distraught mothers and babies or abandoned children at any time of the day or night.
Many matrons passed through The Infants’ Home’s doors, some clearly not up to the task, who only lasted a few weeks or months.
Matron Rebecca Marston, however, was not one of these. After being Matron of The Infants' Home for twenty-eight years, she was rewarded for her services to children and families with an MBE in 1934. The committee praised her for her “loyal devotion and skillful management”.
Rebecca Marston continued her role as Matron until 1944, giving nearly 40 years of service to The Infants' Home.
