The 1895 Petition: Women’s Fight for Surgical Education

Maria Christodoulou (MC) in conversation with Sara Pink (SP).

The Department of Library and Archives at the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England), with a funding grant and support from TownsWeb Archiving, has recently digitised an important archival artefact: the 1895 petition by the London School of Medicine for Women (LSMW), requesting the admission of its students to the College’s examinations.

MC: Could you give us the background to this event in College history?

SP: It is important to provide the context of the time and the purpose of the petition, which marked a pivotal moment in the history of women in medicine.

Although women had traditionally practised midwifery and provided medical care, they were excluded from formal medical training until the late nineteenth century. The LSMW, founded in 1874, was the first medical school in Britain dedicated to training women as doctors. By the end of the century, women had made significant strides in medicine, with Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Sophia Jex-Blake the first women to qualify as medics in 1865 and 1877 respectively. However, surgery remained largely inaccessible to women due to institutional resistance and societal prejudices.

The petition of 1895 was spearheaded by Garrett Anderson, then Dean of the LSMW, who sought to secure equal opportunities for her students. The request was to allow students from the LSMW, therefore female students, to sit the examinations of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, which would grant them the qualifications necessary to practice surgery. It should be mentioned that the petition is undated but is believed to be from 1895.

The Petition of 1895 with some of the signatures including that of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, then Dean of the London School of Medicine for Women.

MC: What was the College’s response to this formal request?

SP: The petition was taken to a vote at a Members and Fellows meeting where the majority rejected it. The Council showed support but due to the vote and the fact that the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) wasn’t going to admit women they decided against it. As the Council stated “…that the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, although in favour of granting the Petition of the Officers and Teachers of the London School of Medicine for Women, do not see their way to admit Women to the Conjoint Examinations, in face of the vote of the Meeting of Fellows and Members of this College and the expressed opinion of the Royal College of Physicians”. As a legal basis for exclusion, the College cited its founding charter which did not explicitly include women, an argument used by other medical institutions to exclude women from entry.

MC: How can we explain this rejection by the College? What were the contemporary attitudes towards the prospect of women in medicine?

SP: The arguments against admitting women largely reflected the pervasive gender biases of the time. For example, there was a preconceived notion that the traditional structure and culture of the College would be disrupted, as well as concerns about whether the physical and emotional constitution of women was compatible with the demands of surgical practice. There was also fear among male surgeons that admitting women would lead to increased competition and disrupt the professional hierarchy.

MC: What do you think was the impact of this rejection?

SP. The rejection of the 1895 petition was a setback, but it did not deter the advocates of women’s medical education. The LSMW continued to train women doctors, and another petition was organised in 1906. This petition was a catalyst for the Council to pass a motion agreeing that women should be entitled to admission to the College, both as members and fellows. The membership was then asked to vote and once again rejected the proposal. Yet, despite this disappointing result, the Council voted to admit women, and in 1909, the College amended its byelaws to that effect. Women were finally able to qualify as surgeons, a victory achieved through persistent advocacy and changing societal attitudes.

In that sense, that first petition of 1895, remains a testament to the resilience and determination of women in medicine. It underscores the importance of challenging institutional barriers and serves as a reminder of the progress made, and the work still to be done, in achieving gender equality in the medical profession.

The official balloting card sent to Members and Fellows regarding the admission of women to the College

MC: Could you expand on who Elizabeth Garrett Anderson was and what was her role in advancing the frontiers of women’s rights in the medical profession?

SP: Elizabeth Garrett Anderson is known as the first woman in Britain to qualify as a doctor as well as to be appointed to a medical post, but what is less well known is that she also waged a 45-year battle with the College over the admission of women to surgical examinations, which is documented in the College archive.

In 1861, she applied but was refused permission to sit the Royal College of Surgeons’ exam in midwifery. This rejection did not deter her as she went on to qualify as a Licentiate of the Society of Apothecaries (LSA) in 1865 and eventually earned her medical degree from the University of Sorbonne which had just started to accept female students. In 1874 she co-founded with Sophia Jex-Blake and became Dean of the London School of Medicine for Women. Garrett Anderson made two attempts to convince the College Council to admit students of LSMW to their exams with the petitions of 1895 and 1906. While both times the College membership voted against admitting women by a small margin, irreversible change was already happening in the broader medical sector.

By 1876, the College Council relented and agreed to allow three women applicants, Sophia Jex-Blake, Isabel Thorne and Edith Pechey, to sit the midwifery exam. But there was further internal resistance to change, as the midwifery examiners resigned on the grounds that they felt the midwifery exam should form part of a general surgical qualification and not be a stand-alone examination. The exam was never reinstated. In the same year, the Medical Act of 1876 allowed British medical colleges to license all qualified applicants as doctors, male or female, though not forcing them to do so. Given the Act’s voluntary character, the College continued to not admit women.

By the time of Garrett Anderson’s and LSMW’s second petition in 1907, the general attitude towards the medical training of women had grown more favourable. A total of 2708 signatures were produced in support of the petition and in April 1907 the Council passed a motion “…that, in the opinion of the Council, it is desirable that women be admitted to examination for the Diploma of Member”. At the same time the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) had already voted to admit women and, since RCS England was administering a joint exam with the RCP, there was little choice but to also admit women. Under compounded pressure, and contrary to membership consensus, the Council voted to admit women and in 1909 new bye-laws were enacted, permitting women to sit for exams and attain membership and fellowship. Yet, this victory was only partial as women were still not allowed to participate in the governance of the College. It was not until 1926 that women achieved full membership on equal terms - a landmark moment in the College’s history. While social change often unfolds gradually, progress is driven by pioneering individuals and groups, the courageous and persistent efforts of Garrett Anderson were pivotal in challenging the prevailing norms of the time. Her example and presence acted as a catalyst for change.

Studio photograph of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson by Walery 1880-1889. Science Museum Collection. This image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence.

MC: What is in your view the role of digitisation of such historical documents?

SP: Our digitisation efforts aim at specific outcomes. Firstly, by making the 1895 petition digitally accessible we take a crucial step in preserving the history of women in medicine. As we all know, historical documents are vulnerable to physical deterioration, and we must ensure their long-term survival. Secondly, through digitised records that can be accessed by researchers, educators, and the public worldwide, we strive to democratise knowledge and foster a deeper understanding of history. The petition serves as a powerful educational tool, illustrating the real life challenges faced by women in breaking professional barriers. Lastly, by showcasing the resilience and determination of the women who fought for their rights, we hope to inspire future generations to continue advocating for equality. The digitisation of such documents not only preserves the past but also connects it to the present, reminding us of the progress made and the work that remains.

Maria Christodolou, Archives Assistant, and Sara Pink, Director of Library and Archives.