Early women doctors in Orkney

We know much about Beatrice Garvie, who was doctor on North Ronaldsay in the 1930’s and 40's. See In Search of Beatrice Garvie to find out more. But did you know there were at least fifty women doctors in Orkney in the period up to 1948?

We currently have a small display of items we hold relating to just a few of these remarkable women, and this blog accompanies it. 

"Beatrice Garvie" sporting her reproduction jumper

The Garvie sweater and tammie have been recreated by Lesley Booth, a heritage knitwear specialist. Lesley first saw the Fair Isle sweater worn by Dr Garvie, in the photograph at the ‘Glean’ exhibition of Scottish Women Photographers (2022-3). Her interest in it led to extensive research into the colour ways and styles of Fair Isle during the 1920s and ‘30s.

We love that cats appear in so many of the Garvie photographs, so added our own version for the display! 

Dr Mabel Hector outside Beatrice Garvie's bungalow, with the cat. D156

Anne Venters neé Horne 1875-1930

Anne qualified as a doctor in 1902. She worked as Medical Officer on Eday from 1903 to 1906 and returned following her marriage to Charles Fraser Horne. She lived the rest of her life on the island, bringing up her children and being quietly involved in the community. She provided medical cover on and off throughout, including a period during the war when she again worked as the medical officer. Her sister was the well-known Dr Isabel Venters and provided locum cover for Anne during her early years in Eday. We know much of this from the Parish Council records for Eday (CO6/3).

Excerpt from CO6/3/3 Parish council minutes for Eday

Jane Jessie Muir neé Bond 1912-2011

Jessie (as she was known) was born and brought up in Stenness and attended Stromness Academy. She graduated in 1940 with a medical degree from Edinburgh University (overlapping with Rina Marwick) and was locum in Dounby in 1940 and 1941. She was called up to the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1942 and was ultimately stationed in India. She married (Colonel) Reginald Bond in 1945, and his Army career took then many parts of the world. After a break of 12 years while bringing up four children, she went back to working as a doctor - sometimes in far flung parts of the world such as Papua New Guinea. They finally retired to Orkney and Jessie lived to the age of 98. 

Jessie Muir

Robina Marwick neé Leslie 1914-1991

Robina Marwick was born in Stromness and, like Jessie, attended Stromness Academy and then Edinburgh University. Following graduation, she covered as doctor on Sanday from 1941-1943 when the Island doctor was called up. During this time there was an air raid on the Island, in which one man was killed and eight injured. Dr Marwick was first on the scene and the Air Ministry sent a letter of thanks, commending the prompt way she answered the call and the personal risks she took.

Letter of thanks from the Air Ministry Clerk of Works at RAF Station, Sanday

In June 1943 Robina was called up to the RAMC. She worked as resuscitation officer with the Ninth British General Hospital and spent time in France, Belgium and then into Germany, reaching Belsen in April 1945. She was one of the first doctors into Belsen concentration camp and describes it as a thousand times worse than anything they could have imagined. 

Robina married Harold Leslie (later Lord Birsay), and although she didn't continue practicing as a doctor, she was involved in related work including marriage guidance counselling.

The Archive holds a BBC Radio Orkney Interview OSA/RO7/161 interviewing Robina Marwick in which she talks about her life. 

Margaret Tait 1918-1999

Most people know Margaret Tait as a filmmaker, however she initially trained and practiced as a doctor. She studied at the University of Edinburgh, graduating in 1941 and, served in the Royal Army Medical Corps from 1943-1945 before practicing as a general practitioner throughout the UK. She grew up in Orkney and lived here for most of her later life.

The Archive holds Margaret Tait’s extensive written archive (D97), which contains a wealth of material including film scripts, letters, diaries, business records. You can find out more at the Margaret Tait 100 blog.

and further down the page:

Excerpt from article written by Margaret Tait -  D97/23/1/18

We hope this gives you a flavour of a tiny number of these remarkable women and if you would like to find out more about the Orkney Women Doctors Research Group (OWDRG) and more of these women see:

 

Blog: orkneywomendoctors.blogspot.com/

Facebook: Orkney Women Doctors Project (1894-1948)

Email: owdpst@gmail.com

Photograph taken of part of display cabinet