Jane Grace Evans-Freke Cummins (later Miller; 10 May 1899 – 1 August 1982) was an Irish doctor who served with the

Royal Air Force Medical Services The Royal Air Force Medical Services is the branch of the Royal Air Force that provides health care at home and on deployed operations to RAF service personnel. Medical officers are the doctors of the RAF and have specialist expertise in avia ...

during the

Second World War 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 ...

Early life and education

Cummins was born on 10 May 1899 in

Cork "Cork" or "CORK" may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Stopper (plug), or "cork", a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container *** Wine cork an item to seal or reseal wine Places Ireland * ...

to William Edward Ashley Cummins (1858–1923), Professor of Medicine at

University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) () is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork (city), Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one of three Queen's Universit ...

(UCC), and Jane Constable Cummins (née Hall). They had five daughters and six sons.

Geraldine Cummins Geraldine Dorothy Cummins (24 January 1890 –24 August 1969) was an Irish spiritualist medium, novelist and playwright. She began her career as a creative writer, but increasingly concentrated on mediumship and "channelled" writings, mostly ab ...

was a playwright,

Iris Cummins Iris Ashley Cummins (6 June 1894 – 30 April 1968) was the first female engineer to graduate University College Cork (UCC) and was also an international hockey player. Early life and education Cummins was born on 6 June 1894 in Woodville, Glan ...

was an engineer, and

Mary Hearn Mary Ellice Thorn Hearn M.D. F.R.C.P.I. (25 February 1891 – 1969) was a gynaecologist and first female fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. Early life and education Hearn was born on 25 February 1891 to Ashley Cummins (rugby ...

was a gynaecologist and fellow of the RCPI. Two of her brothers also became doctors, and one, Nicholas Marshall Cummins, was involved in setting up the first blood transfusion service in Cork. Cummins' distinct name comes from her mother's grandmother, Jane Grace Evans-Freke, who was born in 1775 and married Sir Fenton Aylmer, 7th Baronet of Donodea Castle in 1795.

Medical career

Cummins began her study in UCC and graduating with degrees in Surgery, Medicine and Obstetric Arts by 1923. She went on to complete a Diploma in Medical Radiology and Electrology in 1928. Cummins went to work for the

Colonial Medical Service The Colonial Service, also known as His/Her Majesty's Colonial Service and replaced in 1954 by Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service (HMOCS), was the British government service that administered most of Britain's overseas possessions, under the aut ...

on the Gold Coast in 1930. She also completed her Diploma of Public Health that year. Cummins graduated in 1932 with a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in London. During the Second World War, Cummins was a squadron officer for the Royal Air Force Medical Services. After the war, she focused on child care clinics and in

Tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

, becoming a physician in the Camberwell Chest Clinic in London.

Family

Cummins married accountant David McFarlane Miller in 1934. He died in 1965. They had two sons, one became an accountant and the other a doctor. She died at

Warlingham Park Hospital Warlingham Park Hospital was a psychiatric hospital in Warlingham, Surrey. History The hospital, which was designed by George Oatley and Willie Swinton Skinner, was built at a cost of £200,000 and opened as the Croydon Mental Hospital on 26 Ju ...

in 1982.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cummins, Jane 1899 births 1982 deaths Medical doctors from Cork (city) Irish women medical doctors Royal Air Force Medical Service officers Colonial Medical Service officers