Laura Stewart Sandeman (1862 – 22 February 1929) was a Scottish doctor and political activist.

Early life and education

Laura Stewart Sandeman was born in 1862 in Bradshaw, Lancashire, the eldest daughter of Colonel Frank Stewart Sandeman.Scottish Women's Hospitals,
Laura Stewart Sandeman
She grew up in

Stanley, Perthshire Stanley is a village on the north side of the River Tay in Perthshire, Scotland, around north of Perth. The section of the River Tay near the village is a popular location for canoeing and fishing. Etymology The village of Stanley gains its na ...

, where her father owned a mill. One of her brothers was

Nairne Stewart Sandeman Sir Alexander Nairne Stewart Sandeman, 1st Baronet (12 October 1876 – 23 April 1940) was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was elected at the 1923 general election as Member of Parliament (MP) for Middleton and Prestw ...

who later became a

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

,"Dr Laura Sandeman", ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

'', 23 February 1929 and another was the lawyer

Condie Sandeman James Condie Stewart Sandeman (1866–11 November 1933) was a Scottish advocate. Biography He was the son of Colonel Frank Stewart Sandeman of Stanley, Perthshire, by his wife Laura, daughter of James Condie Writer to the Signet, WS, of Perth; Dr ...

. Sandeman studied medicine at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

, receiving a

Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...

in 1900, and became a

Doctor of Medicine Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin language, Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a profes ...

in 1903.

Career

She began working as a general practitioner in

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

, focusing on the health of the city's working class, and developed an interest in

social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social work ...

. In 1915, she was the first

Chief Medical Officer Chief medical officer (CMO) is the title used in many countries for the senior government official designated head of medical services, sometimes at the national level. The post is held by a physician who serves to advise and lead a team of medical ...

of the

Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service The Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Services (SWH) was founded in 1914. It was led by Dr. Elsie Inglis and provided nurses, doctors, ambulance drivers, cooks and orderlies. By the end of World War I, 14 medical units had been outfitted and ...

Troyes Troyes () is a commune and the capital of the department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within the Champagne wine region and is near to ...

, alongside

Louise McIlroy Dame Anne Louise McIlroy (11 November 1874 – 8 February 1968), known as Louise McIlroy, was a distinguished and honoured Irish-born British physician, specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology. She was both the first woman to be awarded a ...

. She was next appointed to the

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps a ...

, with the title of Controller of Medical Services (Overseas). However, she refused to take up the post on the grounds that her pay would be 60% less than she could earn as a general practitioner, and was less than a man with the same rank. She finally took up the position in 1917, and was given responsibility for operations in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. She was known for avoiding wearing a military uniform, instead working in a skirt, shirt and tie. After the

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Sandeman returned to Scotland where for some years she worked at the

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

workhouse In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse'' ...

. She became active in the Unionist Party, standing for the party in Aberdeen North at the

1924 United Kingdom general election Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...

, and again at a 1928 by-election, taking second place to Labour Party candidates on both occasions. Sandeman also served on the Scottish Board of Health Consultative Council.

Death

On 22 February 1929 she died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

in Aberdeen.

Mary H. J. Henderson Mary H J Henderson (born 1874 – 6 November 1938) was an administrator with Elsie Inglis's Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service in the Balkans in World War I, earning five medals. She founded social work and civic groups led by women, ...

, administrator of the Scottish Women's Hospitals in Serbia, and a war poet, paid a tribute to Sandeman, along with Dr.

Elsie Inglis Eliza Maud "Elsie" Inglis (16 August 1864 – 26 November 1917) was a Scottish doctor, surgeon, teacher, Women's suffrage, suffragist, and founder of the Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service, Scottish Women's Hospitals. She was the ...

, founder of Scottish Women's Hospitals, in ''Magdalene'' in her 1929 book, ''Warp and Woof'', when saying:

'The hands indeed, which minister where there was need; The hands we loved, may not touch ours again, May not alleviate our mortal pain, They lie quiescent in the hands of God'

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sandeman, Laura 1862 births 1929 deaths Alumni of the University of Edinburgh British women in World War I Scottish women medical doctors Businesspeople from Lancashire Unionist Party (Scotland) parliamentary candidates People from Perth and Kinross Royal Army Medical Corps officers Scottish activists Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service volunteers