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The family history of a woman thought to be one of the first nurses to complete her training in Jersey has been uncovered by a metal detectorist’s unlikely find.
The nurse’s badge, found in a St. Brelade field by prolific local treasure hunter Ken Rive, has revealed the family life of a nurse who may have been one of the first to qualify at the island’s hospital.
Pictured: Badges like this were given to nurses who completed their training at the Jersey Hospital.
The discovery prompted an archaeological and historical collaboration to find the owner of the badge which was given to nurses who completed their training – and now they’re looking for any of her living relatives.
This is not the first of Ken’s finds to unlock a part of Jersey’s history in recent times, after a medal he found in St. Lawrence unearthed the “remarkable” story of a local veteran.
Pictured: The badge was found by prolific metal detectorist Ken Rive in a St. Brelade field.
With only the inscription on the back of the badge ‘S.L Blampied’ to go on, the Archaeology Section of the Société Jersiaise approached the Jersey Heritage Archive to trace the mystery owner. It's thought that, given the number six engraved on the pin, this woman was one of the first nurses to qualify in Jersey.
Posting on social media about the find, Société Jersiaise Archaeology wrote: “With the help of the Jersey Archive staff and volunteers, we were able to find out that the badge belonged to Sybil Lucy Dallain (née Blampied) who started her nurse training in 1932, and graduated in 1935 when she was awarded this badge.”
The historical investigation found that Sybil was born in 1906 to a farmer called Stanley H Blampied and Lucy Blampied (née Hocquard).
Pictured: Sybil's husband Herbert Dallain (Jersey Archive/Société Jersiaise).
More details about the nurse’s life emerged, having grown up in Sion House, Trinity with three siblings Enid (b. 1907), Cyril (b. 1909) and Isabel (b. 1911).
The Société also discovered that Sybil married engineer Herbert Dallain at the Methodist Chapel at Sion in 1940 when she stopped working as a nurse and went to live with him in St. John.
The post continues: “No children of hers or any of her siblings have been found so far, but if any relations to Sybil or Herbert read this, please get in touch!”
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