In the early 17th-century Britain, when no female students were admitted into medical schools, Margaret Ann Bulkley made history as the first female to graduate as a medical doctor from Edinburgh University and became the first British female surgeon, all while disguised as a man.
Born around 1789, in Ireland, Margaret moved with her mother to London after her Uncle James Barry—a distinguished artist—passed away in the early 1800s where two of his liberal-minded friends took her under their wings. The four of them together provided the ingredients for Margaret’s future as a physician; the disappearance of Margaret Bulkley and the appearance of a young medical student called James Barry was carefully orchestrated.
Barry graduated in 1812 and decided to join the British Army; surely a strange, yet ambitious, choice for someone with such a secret to hide. Her excellent credentials made her a good candidate, and she is said to have managed to get around the physical examination somehow. During her service period in the Army, Barry got promoted to high-ranked prestigious posts and was well-known for her professionalism and excellent manners.
The Military sent Barry around the world; yet, her biggest accomplishment was in South Africa in 1826. She performed an excellent Caesarean section surgery, becoming the first known instance of a British surgeon performing the surgery with both mother and child surviving.
The secret Dr. James Barry kept for over fifty years was only known after his/her death in 1865. Sophia Bishop, a maid at Barry’s lodging, discovered while laying out the body in preparation for burial that the person she had always known as a man was in fact a woman.
Margaret Bulkley was buried with full military honors in the graveyard at Kensal Green where Dr. James Barry’s tombstone can still be seen.
Cover photo: © RTÉ 2021.
**The original article is published in the SCIplanet, Spring 2014 issue.