Louisa Martindale (30 October 1872 – 5 February 1966) was an English physician, surgeon and writer. She also served as magistrate on the Brighton bench, was a prison commissioner and a member of the National Council of Women. She served with the

Scottish Women's Hospitals 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 ...

Royaumont Abbey Royaumont Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey, located near Asnières-sur-Oise in Val-d'Oise, approximately 30 km north of Paris, France. History It was built between 1228 and 1235 with the support of Louis IX. A proclamation by Louis IX s ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, and as a surgeon in London in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Through her writings she promoted medicine as a career for women.

Early life

Louisa Martindale was born in

Leytonstone Leytonstone ( ) is an area in East London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It adjoins Wanstead to the north-east, Forest Gate to the south-east, Stratford to the south-west, Leyton to the west, and Walthamstow to the nor ...

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

, the first child of William Martindale (–1874) and his second wife Louisa (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Spicer). The family had a

Congregational Church Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice congregational government. Each congregation independently a ...

background.Her mother, "a champion of a larger life for women", was an active

suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to vo ...

and a member of the

Women's Liberal Federation The Women's Liberal Federation was an organisation that was part of the Liberal Party in the United Kingdom. History The Women's Liberal Federation (WLF) was formed on the initiative of Sophia Fry, who in 1886 called a meeting at her house of f ...

, and of the executive committee of the

National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies The National Union of Women Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), also known as the ''suffragists'' (not to be confused with the suffragettes) was an organisation founded in 1897 of women's suffrage societies around the United Kingdom. In March 1919 it w ...

(NUWSS). In the 1880s, Mrs. Martindale held open house for Brighton shop girls on a regular basis, and young Louisa grew up in an environment supportive of her future career. After the death of William Martindale the family moved to

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

, and thence to

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

and

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, finally returning to England to live in

Lewes Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. The town is the administrative centre of the wider Lewes (district), district of the same name. It lies on the River Ouse, Sussex, River Ouse at the point where the river cuts through the Sou ...

East Sussex East Sussex is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Kent to the north-east, West Sussex to the west, Surrey to the north-west, and the English Channel to the south. The largest settlement ...

. In 1885, the family moved again, this time to

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

so that Louisa and her sister

Hilda Hilda is one of several feminine given names derived from the name ''Hild'', formed from Old Norse , meaning 'battle'. Hild, a Nordic-German Bellona, was a Valkyrie who conveyed fallen warriors to Valhalla. Warfare was often called Hild's Game. ...

could attend Brighton High School for Girls (now Brighton Girls). From an early age it had been decided that Louisa should become a doctor, and at 17 she was sent to

Royal Holloway, University of London Royal Holloway, University of London (RH), formally incorporated as Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, is a public university, public research university and a constituent college, member institution of the federal University of London. It ...

Egham Egham ( ) is a town in the Borough of Runnymede in Surrey, England, approximately west of central London. First settled in the Bronze Age, the town was under the control of Chertsey Abbey for much of the Middle Ages. In 1215, Magna Carta was ...

and obtained her London Matriculation in 1892. She then entered the

London School of Medicine for Women The London School of Medicine for Women (LSMW) established in 1874 was the first medical school in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Britain to train women as doctors. The patrons, vice-presidents, and members of the committee that supp ...

in 1893, gaining her MB in 1899, and her BS. In 1900, she went north to

Hull Hull may refer to: Structures * The hull of an armored fighting vehicle, housing the chassis * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a sea-going craft * Submarine hull Ma ...

as an assistant to Dr. Mary Murdoch, the beginning of her professional life. Murdoch and Martindale worked closely as they were partners in their business. In 1902, they went on a cycling holiday together visiting Vienna, Berlin and Switzerland. They were in partnership until 1906.

Career

After five years in Hull, in 1906 Martindale gained her

Doctor of Medicine A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin language, Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of ph ...

and returned to Brighton. She started her own general practice and very soon was asked to join the Lewes Road Dispensary for Women and Children (which in 1911 became the Lady Chichester Hospital, Brighton Branch) as a visiting medical officer. She served with the Scottish Women's Hospitals at

, and as a surgeon in London in

. In 1920, she was instrumental in the setting up of the New Sussex Hospital for Women in Windlesham Road, Brighton, and held the post of senior surgeon and physician there until 1937. After moving to London as a consultant surgeon, Martindale soon became known as honorary surgeon at the Marie Curie Hospital. In 1931, Martindale was elected president of the Medical Women's Federation. She was appointed

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

that same year. Two years later, she was elected a Fellow of the

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) is a professional association based in London, United Kingdom. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that is ...

. In 1937, Martindale was appointed to the council of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists as its first woman member. Martindale's medical interests were sometimes controversial, especially her studies of

venereal disease A sexually transmitted infection (STI), also referred to as a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and the older term venereal disease (VD), is an infection that is spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, or ...

and

prostitution Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, no ...

. Her book ''Under the Surface'' (1909), in which she spoke quite openly about these very topics, apparently caused a stir in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

. She also laid the groundwork for research in the treatment of uterine cancer and fibroid growths in women by means of intensive X-ray therapy. She secured a long and distinguished life and career in medicine, carrying out over 7000 operations. Her work brought her respect and acknowledgment from both her colleagues and her patients: she was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians in 1933, and was a member of the

Royal Society of Medicine The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a medical society based at 1 Wimpole Street, London, UK. It is a registered charity, with admission through membership. Its Chief Executive is Michele Acton. History The Royal Society of Medicine (R ...

. Eventually she became a specialist in the early treatment of

cervical cancer Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix or in any layer of the wall of the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that can invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later sympt ...

X-ray An X-ray (also known in many languages as Röntgen radiation) is a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than those of ultraviolet rays and longer than those of gamma rays. Roughly, X-rays have a wavelength ran ...

and she later lectured extensively throughout the UK, the United States, and Germany.

Activism

An active member of the Brighton Women's Franchise Society, she also served as a magistrate for many years on the Brighton bench, became president of the Medical Women's Federation in 1931, was a Prison Commissioner and a member of the National Council of Women.

Personal life

Martindale never married and lived for more than three decades with another woman, Ismay FitzGerald (–1946), daughter of

Baron FitzGerald Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knight, ...

of Kilmarnock. Some scholars are wary of identifying Martindale as a

lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...

. Geoffrey Walford, for instance, does not state whether Martindale's "woman-centred lifestyle" specifically entailed a lesbian relationship. Others are more explicit and unhesitatingly propose Martindale's lesbianism, referring for instance to her 1951 autobiography ''A Woman Surgeon'', in which she writes quite openly and tenderly (though without giving explicit detail) about her love for FitzGerald.

Death

Martindale retired from practice in 1947. She died in her home in London on 5 February 1966, aged 93.

Legacy

In June 2023, the

Royal Sussex County Hospital The Royal Sussex County Hospital is an acute teaching hospital in Brighton, England. Together with the Princess Royal Hospital, it is administered by the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. The services provided at the hospital inc ...

in Brighton opened a new £500 million, 11-storey building named in honour of Martindale.

Works by Louisa Martindale

*''Under the Surface''. Brighton: Southern Publishing Company, 1909. *''The Treatment of Thirty-Seven Cases of Uterine Fibromyomata by Intensive X-Ray Therapy''. 1920. *''The Woman Doctor and Her Future''. London: Mills and Boon, 1922. Available online a
Internet Archives
*''Menorrhagia Treated by Intensive X-Ray Therapy.'' 1923. *''Treatment of Cancer of the Breast''. 1945. *''The Artificial Menopause''. 1945. *''The Prevention of Venereal Disease''. London: Research Books, 1945. *''Venereal Disease, Its Influence on the Health of the Nation, Its Cure and Prevention''. 1948. *''A Woman Surgeon''. London: Gollancz, 1951.

References

Sources

*Brown, Val. ''Women's Hospitals in Brighton and Hove''. Hastings: Hastings Press, 2006. *Delamont, Sara
"Martindale, Louisa (1872–1966)".
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2004. *LSMW Archive material at the Royal Free Hospital Archive. * Martindale, Hilda. ''From One Generation to Another: A Book of Memoirs, 1839-1944''. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1944. *Wojtczak, Helena. ''Notable Sussex Women''. Hastings: Hastings Press, 2008. {{DEFAULTSORT:Martindale, Louisa 1872 births 1966 deaths English surgeons Commanders of the Order of the British Empire LGBTQ physicians People from Leytonstone English women medical doctors Alumni of the London School of Medicine for Women 20th-century British women scientists Presidents of the Medical Women's Federation British women surgeons English justices of the peace Alumni of Royal Holloway, University of London British women in World War I 20th-century English women 20th-century English LGBTQ people Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service volunteers