Military History

Constance died of Cerebrospinal fever (Meningitis) on 12th February 1917 at the Connaught Military Hospital in Aldershot.

The following is taken from a biography contained on Find A Grave.

Born on the 6th May 1887 in the village of Arrow in Warwickshire and baptised on the 29th May 1887, Constance was the youngest daughter of Lord Ernest James Seymour and Lady Georgiana Seymour (née Fortescue) of The Firs, Kenilworth, Warwickshire. They had married in Devon on the 26th September 1877. Constance was the granddaughter of the 5th Marquis of Hertford. Her father had been a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and also a Captain and Honorary Major in the Warwickshire Yeomanry Cavalry. Constance had three older brothers, Francis, Arthur and Reginald and two older sisters Ruth and Eleanor.

Along with her mother, Constance participated in a lot of charitable work. In early 1914 and aware of an imminent war, Constance passed exams in First Aid and Home Nursing. Along with other nurses she then helped form the Kenilworth Voluntary Aid Detachment of the British Red Cross Society becoming their Honorary Secretary. She also helped with the organisation of Welfare Centre for mothers and babies.

Constance aspired to be a trained nurse and when war broke out she voluntarily went to Warneford Hospital in Leamington Spa for training in the role. When the Red Cross Hospital was opened in Kenilworth, Constance became one of the nurses there, before returning to Warneford Hospital when she was needed.
Joining the staff at the Cambridge Military Hospital in Aldershot, Constance began training as a military nurse. In 1915, she returned home to care for her dying mother. Lady Seymour died on Christmas Eve 1915 after which Constance returned to Aldershot and the Connaught Military Hospital.

In November 1916, Constance was incapacitated for several weeks after catching measles from one of her patients. On Saturday 10th February 1917, Constance became unwell and was relieved of her duties on the wards. At first it was thought that she had contracted influenza, but the symptoms of cerebro-spinal fever (an infectious meningitis) quickly developed and she became gravely ill. The following day, on Sunday, her father was urgently notified of her deteriorating condition. Along with one of her sisters, her father immediately travelled to Aldershot and managed to reach her before she passed away in the early hours of Monday 12th February 1917.

On Wednesday 14th February, at Aldershot Military cemetery, Constance was afforded a funeral with full military honours. Her uncle, The Rev. Lord Victor Seymour conducted the funeral service. Eight senior Officers from the Royal Army Medical Corps acted as bearers while the band of the Corps headed the cortege from the hospital to the cemetery. Her coffin was carried on a gun carriage and was followed by as many nurses and members of the R.A.M.C. that could be spared from duty. A firing party from the Corps was also there and after her coffin had been lowered into the ground three volleys were fired over her grave followed by the 'Last Post'. In death, Constance was treated as any fighting soldier would have been.