100th birthday: Celebrations for Mary McCabe who helped bring hundreds of Falkirk Bairns into the world

Mary McCabe was a sister midwife for decades at the former Falkirk & District Royal Infirmary and helped many mothers at the birth of their children.

On Sunday former nursing colleagues joined Mary’s family, friends and neighbours to celebrate her very special day.

Daughters Esther McLaughlin and Claire Sheppard had organised the party in Camelon Social Club, which took place the day before their mum’s landmark birthday.

Esther, who lives in London, and Claire, now living in South Wales, each spend a month with their mum to allow her to continue living in her home in Bantaskine that the family moved into in 1957.

Born on April 4, 1922, Mary was the fifth of Esther and William McLaughlin’s eight children, all of whom had red hair and were known in the village as the “red headed McLaughlins”.

She grew up in Plean with siblings Donald, Willie, George, Nellie, Jane, Katy and Esther, attending Bannockburn St Mary’s School before going to St Modan’s High School in Stirling.

Leaving school at 16, her first job was at Bannockburn Co-op as a cashier, but as was usual at the time she had to sit a stiff entrance exam before getting the position.

But nursing was always her chosen profession and after spending time volunteering at Bannockburn Fever Hospital, she was eventually accepted to begin her training as a registered fever nurse at the former Falkirk Burgh Hospital in 1939.

Three years later she was accepted to begin her general nursing training at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.

Mary had really wanted to go to Glasgow to train but, as was the case in those days, her family didn’t want a young girl in the big city on her own. Instead, she went to Paisley where her granny’s sister lived and relatives could keep an eye out for her.

But three years later she got her wish and went to Glasgow’s Maternity Hospital, better known as Rottenrow, to do her midwifery training.

She spent one year as a midwife and then another as a district nurse.

Mary said: “We often had to be escorted by the police when we were going out at nights because people thought we might be carrying strong drugs, but we weren’t. Sometimes the policeman would say that they couldn’t go any further and we would have to get the corner boys, who were from the gangs, to take us to our patient.”

In 1949 she returned to Falkirk Burgh Hospital when was given a sister’s post.

Around this time she met John McCabe or Johnny as he was better known, whose family were involved with running a bookmakers business at Falkirk Greyhound Stadium.

Two years later in January 1951 the couple married in Bannockburn St Mary’s.

Shortly after the couple and their two daughter’s moved into their Bantaskine home in 1957 Mary announced that she wanted to go back to work part-time. However, her husband wouldn’t hear of it at first, saying “McCabe women didn’t work”. But in 1958 Mary obtained a part-time post in Falkirk & District Royal Infirmary’s maternity wards, mainly working weekends.

Mary said: “I wanted to earn some money to buy a new pram but it ended up being spent on a new car that we used to have to wait until he was here to drive us about. It was his pride and joy.”

She was later promoted to sister and continued at the hospital until her retirement in December 1981.

Daughter Esther said: “Mum delivered hundreds of Falkirk Bairns over the years. She has been there at some very special moments for families from all over the district.

"As youngsters we could never go up the street without mum stopping to look in prams and talk to mums about how their babies were coming on.”

The daughters remember lots of holidays being spent in seaside destinations – but always where the TUC conference was taking place.

Claire said: “Dad was a sheet metal worker at the REME base in Stlrling where he was also the union official so every summer holiday would be spent wherever the union conferences were taking place.”

Mary also remembers how she and her colleagues would save up a kitty and every month enjoy going to dinner dances across the district including at the Powfoulis and Inchyra Hotels, where she used to partake of her favourite tipple of Flying Angels, brandy and Babycham!

Sadly Johnny died in 2003 but with the support of her daughters, Mary continues to live at home.

Until recently she was very active and often travelled to spend time with her growing family.

A visit to London to meet one of her granddaughters included afternoon tea at the Shard.

She has four granddaughters – Kirsty, Fiona, Lindsay and Vicky – and eight great-grandchildren, many of whom attended her party as did her two remaining siblings, George and Esther.

Mary had been particularly close to her brother Willie, who had been one of the first soldiers to land on Juno Beach as part of the D-Day Landings, receiving the French Légion d'honneur in 2016.

Asked the secret of her long life, Mary had no hesitation in replying: “A clear conscience.”

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