We are gratified to report that Mrs. Thomas Patenall, Mayoress of Higham Ferrers and Commandant of the Higham Ferrers Auxiliary Hospital since its establishment, has had conferred upon her by His Majesty the King the Order of the British Empire, in recognition of her valued services on behalf of the country since the outbreak of war. Recently we reported the fact that Mrs. Patenall's name was included in a list of patriotic workers who had been brought to the notice of His Majesty by reason of their valued services to the country, and the present honour is in all probability the natural sequence of this fact.

Mrs. Patenall for many years past has taken a prominent and active interest in all philanthropic work in the borough of which her husband is chief citizen, and for many years prior to the war she was Lady Superintendent of the Higham Ferrers Nursing Sisters of the St. John Ambulance Association. When the Higham Ferrers V.A.D. Hospital was opened on March 14th 1915, Mrs Patenall was appointed Commandant, a position which she still retains.

During the whole of her patriotic services she has continued to discharge her duties with painstaking zeal and energy, her interest in her patients, or “her boys” as she affectionately terms them, never once having flagged, this interest, inspired by her genuine love of humanity, having earned for her not only the esteem and gratitude, but also the affection of those to whose suffering she has ministered.

In all her work Mrs. Patenall has received the whole-hearted support of her husband (Ald. T. Patenall), who is now in the eighth year of his Mayoralty. In order that Mrs. Patenall might the better he able to carry out her duties as Commandant of the hospital, Ald. and Mrs. Patenall at the outbreak of war patriotically closed their beautiful residence in Rushden, and took up quarters nearer to Mrs. Patenall's work. Since the date of the opening of the hospital about 700 patients have passed through, all of whom would no doubt testify their appreciation of Mrs. Patenall's interest in them, and who would be glad of the opportunity of congratulating her upon the well-deserved honour which has been bestowed upon her.

Ald. and Mrs. Patenall's only two sons have been serving their country since the outbreak of war. Lieut. H. R. Patenall is with the R.A.M.C. and stationed at Warlingham, and Bombardier Donald H. Patenall, R.F.A., fought throughout the Dardanelles campaign, during which he contracted enteric fever, being subsequently invalided home. For some time he was then stationed at Woolwich, assisting at the Record Office, and he is now employed in a similar capacity at Northampton.