A skilled surgeon, teacher and mentor, Louisa Aldrich-Blake was one of the first surgeons to perform successful operations for life-threatening cancers, and trained other women to do the same.

Her fingertips obviously carried brains in them.

In 1895, Dame Louisa Aldrich-Blake (1865 - 1925) became the first woman in Britain to earn a master’s degree in surgery, launching a career defined by notable firsts.   

Following her training at the London School of Medicine for Women (LSMW – much later part of UCL Medical School) Aldrich-Blake was one of the first surgeons to perform successful operations for rectal and cervical cancers. Her skills helped to normalise and increase the number of cancer surgeries carried out by women and improve outcomes for cancer patients. 

Aldrich-Blake was also a dedicated teacher and mentor, holding senior roles at hospitals which trained women, including the world-leading Royal Free Hospital where she was the first woman anaesthetist and surgical registrar. She kept close links with the LSMW, returning as Dean in 1914. The number of women studying there nearly doubled under her leadership.

Historical photograph of the London (Royal Free Hospital) School of Medicine for Women
Photograph of the London (Royal Free Hospital) School of Medicine for Women, Hunter Street, London. founded 1874. Wellcome Collection.

She volunteered during the First World War, helping to set up a hospital and organise major recruitment efforts to send women doctors to war zones. Patients in France affectionately nicknamed her Madame la Générale.  

Adopting the male nickname ‘Harry’ while still at school, Aldrich-Blake wore a man’s tie and collar and was described as having a ‘gentlemanly appearance’. From 1915 until her death she lived with Rosamund Wigram, whom she had met as a student. 

She was among several women at the LSMW, including Christine Murrell and Louisa Martindale, to experience loving relationships with other women. From their student days, Aldrich-Blake and her peers defied expectations and remained connected over a shared interest in women’s suffrage, health and higher education.  

In 1925, Aldrich-Blake was made a Dame for her outstanding service to medicine and education. You can find her statue in Tavistock Square Gardens in Bloomsbury – a tribute to her lasting influence and a life lived on her own terms.  


Photo (top): Wellcome Collection

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