How a woman pretended to be a man to become a doctor and became a general

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

History knows many cases when women impersonate men in order to do what they love, achieve professional success and be recognized. In 2016, former physician Michael du Pré published Dr. James Barry: A Woman Ahead of Time, to which he devoted about 10 years of his life. It took him so much time to restore the exact biography bit by bit. James Barry, which the British War Department has classified for 100 years, and write a book about how a woman pretended to be a man in order to be a doctor. Yes, not just a doctor, but an excellent military surgeon and general.

When on July 25, 1865 in London, the elderly James Barry, a medical inspector general of the British army, a famous doctor, military surgeon, died peacefully in his bed, a great commotion began. The maid, who washed his body before burial, discovered that her master was not a man at all, but that neither was a real woman, and given birth. During the investigation of a complicated case, it turned out that under the name of Dr. James Barry, Margaret Ann Bulkley, the first woman surgeon in Europe who served in the army for 40 years, pretended to be a man in order to do what she loved, lived her whole life.

The Manchester Guardian wrote enthusiastically at the time.

Indeed, at that time it was incomprehensible for a woman in 19th century Europe to receive such an outstanding education and become a practicing and operating doctor. Therefore, the British Department of Defense was not at all happy about this. And of course, they tried to quickly hush up the scandalous story: Margaret Ann Bulkeley was buried under a man's name and with the rank of general in the Kensal Green cemetery, the certificate was issued in a man's name, and the case with his dossier was sent to the archives of the Ministry of Defense under the heading: "SECRET." And the secret of James Barry was soon forgotten …

However, almost a century later, in 1950, the historian Isobel Ray, sorting through the military archives, came across the secret documents of the famous surgeon. Having become interested in the biography of James Barry, the historian obtained permission to study the case. In them, she found evidence that the general was in fact a woman, the daughter of an Irish shopkeeper from Cork and the niece of the British artist James Barry. There was also a version that she was raped in adolescence and gave birth to a child, but this assumption was not substantiated. Thus, the secret was revealed, but not made public, since Isobel was unable to find any other evidence other than the archived one.

And only at the beginning of the 21st century, urologist Michael du Pré from Cape Town, intrigued by the story of James Barry, began looking for additional evidence. And he managed to find letters from Barry, some of which were signed by the name of Margaret Ann Bulkley, and some by James himself. A handwriting examination was carried out, which established the complete identity of handwriting and style of writing letters. They were published in New Scientist magazine. And based on this evidence and archival documents, Dr. Michael wrote a biographical book called James Barry: A Woman Ahead of Her Time.

Next, let's try to understand a little about this tangled story, which began more than 200 years ago …

The story of Margaret Ann Bulkley pretending to be a man to become a surgeon

Margaret Bulkley was born in 1789 (or 1795) into an Irish shopkeeper from Cork. The exact date is not known for certain, because throughout her life, Margaret was forced to forge her birth documents. The girl grew up very intelligent and excelled in the exact and natural sciences. In her youth, Margaret always said that if she were a boyfriend, she would definitely become a doctor. But at the beginning of the 19th century, only men could get a medical education, and even more so become a surgeon. For women, the doors of universities will be closed for a long time.

When the girl's father finally went bankrupt, leaving the family in large debt, the mother decided to move with her daughter to Edinburgh to her brother - an artist, a member of the Royal Academy of Arts of Great Britain - James Barry. And in November 1809 they arrived by sea in the capital of Scotland. Margaret went ashore, determined by all means to enter the medical department of the local university.

But it so happened that upon the arrival of his relatives, the artist died suddenly. This circumstance prompted the young lady to go to extreme measures and name herself after her late uncle when submitting forged documents to the University of Edinburgh. So, a determined girl once, putting on a man's suit for admission to a university, never took it off again. This is how, at the age of 18, Margaret became James Barry.

And the only thing left in the memory of the girl is the last letter to Ireland, dated December 14, 1809, signed by the name of Margaret. This name was never mentioned anywhere else.

The story of James Barry, hiding his feminine essence for about 50 years

The biography of James Miranda Stuart Barry (full name) begins in early 1810, when he entered the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh. Studied 15-year-old (judging by the birth certificate) James Barry brilliantly, so not only did not pay for his studies, but also received a scholarship. And three years after graduation, he became an army doctor. He served in the British colonies - in India, South Africa, Canada, Malta, Tobago, Jamaica. And everywhere fame went about him, as about a man who did not make a difference between black and white, poor and rich - he saved and healed everyone. But, meanwhile, James was famous not only for successful risky operations, but for his quarrelsome nature. During the entire service, Barry did not make friends, only the servant John, brought by him from Jamaica, followed him everywhere.

In 1825, Barry was promoted to army surgeon. Everyone was surprised how a guy who looks like an 18-year-old boy, and even with female manners, can occupy such a position. And, despite all his professional achievements, for some reason the young surgeon was not very popular with his colleagues. Many were annoyed by his quarrelsome and quick-tempered nature. James Barry always carried a huge saber with him and never missed an opportunity to challenge an opponent. An unpleasant impression on those around him was also made by his unsightly appearance, puny figure, too high-pitched voice and strange demeanor.

Meanwhile, all the shortcomings of James faded before his fantastic efficiency and professionalism, his willingness to take responsibility for all his actions. It was these qualities that allowed the military surgeon to rise to the rank of general in a fairly short time.

In 1826, in Cape Town, he became the first British surgeon to perform a successful documented caesarean section in which both mother and child survived. Throughout his career, he not only performed excellently on the wounded, but also worked to ensure safe and healthy living conditions for soldiers and local residents, and also fiercely fought for sanitation and hygiene in hospitals. Therefore, he was subsequently appointed inspector of medicine.

Sensational exposure

James Barry retired in 1857 as Inspector General of the British Army's military hospitals. The retired general with a servant and a dog, Psyche, settled in London, and eight years later he died of dysentery. He was buried as a general with all military honors.

And this, despite the fact that the servant Sophia Bishop, who washed the body of the deceased, sounded the alarm, announcing that the deceased was a woman, and, moreover, giving birth, which was evident from the characteristic stretch marks on the abdomen (the maid confidently asserted this, relying on her own observations and "the experience of giving birth to nine children").

But this exposure might not have happened, and the secret would have gone with the general to the grave. After all, James Barry left a will after himself, which contained strict instructions that after his death the body should be cremated without any preparatory procedures and without an autopsy. But, for what reasons, this clause of the will was violated, alas, is not known.

The sensational revelation leaked to the press, which did not miss the opportunity to embellish its publications with conjectures. The revealed truth about the gender of the general of the English army caused quite a stir in the military department. But, the military caught on in time, the servant's words were declared a lie, the body was cremated, and a monument was erected at the "Cemetery of All Souls" (Kensal Green) with the inscription: "Dr. James Barry, Inspector General of Army Hospitals." Soon after the burial, access to the deceased's dossier was closed for almost 100 years.

P. S

In conclusion, I would like to note that only five years after the death of Margaret (James Barry), in Europe, the first woman was able to officially receive a medical degree - just as a woman.

Continuing on this topic, read the post: When a man turned out to be a woman and vice versa, or The loudest gender deceptions in history.