The Double Life of Dr. James Barry
- Tehreem Adil
- Apr 30
- 3 min read
Anyone familiar with English Literature can recognize the well-known story of the Brontë sisters, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë, writing under male pseudonyms for their work to be accepted for publication. Their love for writing was so intense that they were ready to endure the slow decay of their glory and recognition for their names by the molds of misogyny if it meant their work would survive.
The history of Medicine has brought forth a similar tale, only more daring, risky, and
shocking- The life of Dr. James Barry. To understand his life, we have to understand the
story of his death.
After decades of exceptional services in the field of Medicine, his death in 1865
revealed a shocking truth: Dr Barry was a brave Irish woman, Margaret Anne Bulkley,
Who took on the risks of a double life to fulfill her lifelong dream of Medicine. She was born at Merchant Quay, Cork City, in 1789, to Jeremiah and Mary Anne Bulkley. Her elder brother John was the favoured child of this family and expected to become a lawyer, although Margaret was also recognised as equally intelligent.
In 1806, her uncle died, bringing forth new financial worries in a world where her
survival depended on one of two things: matrimony or a short-lived career as a lowly
paid governess. She feared that her uncle’s small inheritance would soon come to an
end, forcing her to make a choice. However, the views of her uncle’s liberal friends
greatly impacted her perspective. His acquaintance, Mary Wollstonecraft, famously
argued for women's rights in her book A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Another
supporter of women's education was David Erskine, the 11th Earl of Buchan, known for
his feminist essays and eccentric personality. Buchan helped guide Margaret's career,
likely recognizing her talent and ambition.
Margaret also had an unusual supporter, General Francisco De Miranda, a Venezuelan
revolutionary. He let her use his large collection of medical books and promised that if
she earned a medical degree, he would invite her to work openly as a doctor in
Venezuela after he freed the country from Spanish rule.
This team of exceptional supporters helped fuel her drive and passions. In 1809, she
Finally took admission in the University of Edinburgh, taking on the masculine name from
None other than her deceased uncle, James Barry. To make her claims believable, she
wore second-hand men’s clothing with padding to make her look more muscular, a
A greatcoat over her clothes most of the time, and boots with stacked heels and a red wig
– All to add height.
She went on to study surgery at St Thomas’s Hospital and Guy’s Hospital in London
under the best surgeons of the day. Due to her admiration for the British Army and
added advantages, she decided to become a Hospitat Assistant in the army and was
later promoted Physician to the Governor’s Household.
So what did she achieve by attempting to serve the same society that had discriminated against her, forcing her to take on a double life by killing her former self?
She became the first woman known to receive a medical degree from Edinburgh
University and to qualify as a surgeon from St Thomas’s and Guy’s Hospitals, while also
training in pharmacy and medical botany with an apothecary. She was a true pioneer.
She became the first surgeon in the British Empire to successfully perform a caesarean
section where both mother and baby survived. Beyond her surgical achievements, she
led reforms in hospitals and prisons, worked to improve food, sanitation, and living
conditions for soldiers, and campaigned for separate housing for army families. Her
groundbreaking career culminated in becoming the first woman to hold the rank of
Inspector General of Hospitals in the British Army, a position equivalent to that of an
Army General.
Works cited from:
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