Agnes Barr Auchencloss (30 May 1886 – 4 July 1972) was a Scottish medical officer. She is best known for her work at the
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
munitions factory
HM Factory, Gretna
H.M. Factory, Gretna was Britain's largest cordite factory during the First World War. The government-owned facility was adjacent to the Solway Firth, near Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway. It was built by the Minister of Munitions, Ministry o ...
. She is included in the
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...
Roll of Honour.
Family and education
Agnes Barr Auchencloss was born in
Paisley, Scotland on 30 May 1886 to Jane Crawford and James Currie Auchencloss. Her father was a starch and
cornflour merchant. She had a brother, also named James Currie Achencloss. She and her brother were educated at
Paisley Grammar School
Paisley Grammar School is a secondary school in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Paisley, the largest town in Renfrewshire, Scotland. The school was founded in 1576 by royal charter of James VI of Scotland, King James VI and is situated on Glasgow Road. T ...
and the
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...
, where she studied medicine.
On 24 April 1911 she graduated with a
MBChB, having won nine class prizes including first class in Anatomy and Surgery.
She met and married Swedish chemist Gosta Lundholm, whose family had been in Scotland for many years, and had British citizenship.
Her husband then worked at the British South African Explosive Company which served the gold mines in the
Transvaal
Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name ''Transvaal''.
* South African Republic (1856–1902; ...
, South Africa.
Her father-in-law Carl Olof Lundholm had been commissioned by
Alfred Nobel
Alfred Bernhard Nobel ( ; ; 21 October 1833 – 10 December 1896) was a Swedish chemist, inventor, engineer, and businessman. He is known for inventing dynamite, as well as having bequeathed his fortune to establish the Nobel Prizes. He also m ...
to manage his dynamite factory in
Ardeer, Scotland.
Their sons, Eric Olof Lundholm (b.1915) and Alan Basil Auchenloss Lundholm (b. 1921) were born at
Modderfontein. Between 1915 and 1921 the family lived in Scotland near the munitions factory in Gretna.
They returned to Scotland from South Africa as her husband Gosta was working in a factory at
Westquarter making
fulminate of mercury
Mercury(II) fulminate, or Hg(CNO)2, is a primary explosive. It is highly sensitive to friction, heat and shock and is mainly used as a trigger for other explosives in percussion caps and detonators. Mercury(II) cyanate, though its chemical formu ...
. At this time the family lived in
Falkirk
Falkirk ( ; ; ) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow.
Falkirk had a resident population of 32,422 at the ...
.
They then moved to
Ardrossan
Ardrossan (; ) is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in southwestern Scotland. The town has a population of 10,670 and forms part of a conurbation with Saltcoats and Stevenston known as the 'Three Towns#Scotland, Three Towns'. Ardrossan is loca ...
as Gosta was working at
Ardeer.
Her eldest son, Eric was a
Royal Engineer
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...
in the Middle East during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
Her husband Gotta died in 1969 and she moved in with her son Alan and his wife in
Torrance, Glasgow.
She died in the
Edinburgh City Hospital on 4 July 1972.
Career
Auchencloss started as house doctor at
Royal Alexandra Infirmary, Paisley, then at
Kilmarnock Infirmary. In 1914 she was a volunteer doctor in
Afrikaaner communities in the
veldt
Veld ( or , Afrikaans language, Afrikaans and Dutch language, Dutch: ''veld'', field), also spelled veldt, is a type of wide-open, rural landscape in Southern Africa. Particularly, it is a flat area covered in grass or low scrubland, scrub, ...
in South Africa. From June 1916, her husband returned to Scotland to assist in the building of
HM Factory, Gretna
H.M. Factory, Gretna was Britain's largest cordite factory during the First World War. The government-owned facility was adjacent to the Solway Firth, near Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway. It was built by the Minister of Munitions, Ministry o ...
a newly established munitions factory. He later became the lead chemist in the factory's
nitro-glycerine department.
Auchencloss became the Medical Officer at HM Factory, Gretna for what became 20,000 workers, mainly women.
The factory was an extremely dangerous work environment with risks of injuries and explosions. When the King and Queen visited the factory in 1917, Auchenloss was one of those they met and spoke with.
After the war, her husband's work moved again to South Africa and back to Scotland in 1929, where Auchencloss worked as a volunteer, latterly with the Women Citizens' Organisation.
She was described as generously giving her time to the sick and injured throughout her life.
Auchencloss was included in the University of Glasgow World War One Roll of Honour.
External links
image of Agnes Barr Auchenclossnote: copyright The University of Glasgow.
archive of her son Eric Olof Lundholmincludes husband's family tree history
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Auchencloss, Agnes Barr
1886 births
1972 deaths
Alumni of the University of Glasgow
20th-century Scottish medical doctors
People from Paisley, Renfrewshire
People educated at Paisley Grammar School