Ella Campbell Scarlett (22 November 1864 – 30 October 1937) was an English physician who was the first woman medical practitioner in

Bloemfontein Bloemfontein ( ; ), also known as Bloem, is the capital and the largest city of the Free State (province), Free State province in South Africa. It is often, and has been traditionally, referred to as the country's "judicial capital", alongsi ...

, South Africa and the first woman doctor at the

Royal Columbian Hospital Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH) is among the oldest hospitals in British Columbia and one of the busiest in the Fraser Health, Fraser Health Authority. It is located in New Westminster overlooking the Fraser River and is the only hospital in the L ...

in Canada.

Early life and education

Scarlett was born at Abinger Hall in

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

, on 22 November 1864, to Helen ( Magruder) Scarlett, niece of John B. Magruder, and William Scarlett, 3rd Baron Abinger.''England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538–1975'' In 1897, Scarlett studied medicine at the London School of Medicine for Women and the Royal Free Hospital for five years, and spent some time in Korea at the Royal Court. On 14 December 1901, she married Percy Hamilton Synge. At the time of the wedding she was 37 years old and Synge was 29 years old.

Career

In 1902, Scarlett traveled to

Norvalspont Norvalspont is a small town in Pixley ka Seme District Municipality in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. The name is Afrikaans for ''Norval’s ferry'', and named after an enterprising Scot who constructed a ferry here in 1848. The settl ...

Cape Colony The Cape Colony (), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope. It existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with three ...

to serve, by government appointment, in the concentration camp as part of the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

. She then moved to Bloemfontein, where she was part of a six-member committee appointed by the British Minister of War to investigate conditions in the concentration camps. Other members of the committee included

Millicent Fawcett Dame Millicent Garrett Fawcett (; 11 June 1847 – 5 August 1929) was an English political activist and writer. She campaigned for Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, women's suffrage by Law reform, legal change and in 1897–1919 led Brita ...

and

Jane Elizabeth Waterston Jane Elizabeth Waterston (1843 – 7 December 1932) was a Scottish teacher and the first woman physician in southern Africa. Inspired by David Livingstone she trained to become a physician and missionary. Prejudice led her to leave the mission ...

. In 1903, Scarlett was assigned the position of doctor to Normal College and the Dames Instituut. In 1907, Scarlett moved to

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

, Canada, for five years before moving to

New Westminster New Westminster (colloquially known as New West) is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District. It was founded by Major-General Richard Moody as the cap ...

. In 1915 Scarlett worked for the

Canadian Red Cross The Canadian Red Cross Society ()Royal Columbian Hospital Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH) is among the oldest hospitals in British Columbia and one of the busiest in the Fraser Health, Fraser Health Authority. It is located in New Westminster overlooking the Fraser River and is the only hospital in the L ...

. In August 1915, Scarlett traveled to Serbia to distribute medical supplies and visited British prisoner of war camps in Germany. She died on 30 October 1937, aged 72, in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

.''England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858–1995''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scarlett, Ella 1864 births 1937 deaths Ella Daughters of barons People from Surrey (before 1889) 20th-century English women medical doctors 20th-century English medical doctors English women medical doctors British expatriates in Canada Women in the Second Boer War Cape Colony people 20th-century South African physicians South African women physicians 20th-century Canadian physicians 20th-century Canadian women physicians Red Cross personnel