Dr. James Barry lived an incredible life...
When the body of Dr. James Barry was being routinely examined after his death in 1865, a loud shout was heard...
It was his servant. She has just discovered something astounding. As it turned out, the man she had served for most of her life wasn’t a man at all.
It was an Irish Woman.
A woman who had become the first ever Woman to graduate medical school.
Who had become the first person to ever perform a successful Caesarion Birth.
Who had served as the highest ranking surgeon in the British Army...
A woman by the name of Margaret Bulkley... An individual with a most fascinating story.
Here are Four-amazing facts from the life of the greengrocer’s daughter from Cork, who fooled the entire British Empire.
Dr. James Barry, in the late 1840's1. For starters ‘James’ wasn’t her real name... obviously.
Ok, for the sake of saving time, lets just skim over the first part of ‘James’’ life (It’s a seriously long story).
Born in Cork in 1789, into a middle class family. Margaret Bulkley was expected to live out the compliant existence expected of an 18th Century Woman.
However, following her Father’s sudden bankruptcy her life was thrown into chaos, and her family descended into poverty.
In search of a better life, she fled to London with her Mother and sought help from her eccentric Uncle... James Barry, a famous painter.
This is where things start to get interesting!
It was in London that Margaret’s intelligence and flair would finally be given a chance to flourish (again, really skimming over the details here).
And she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor.
Slight hitch though! This was 18th Century Europe and Women weren’t allowed to be doctors.
Pffft. As if that was going to stop her. All she needed was a daring plan.
So Margaret, along with her Mother and Uncle James’ intellectual friends got together, and came up with something brilliant.
Margaret’s mother would disguise her as a boy, take her to Edinburgh and enroll her at the University Medical School, one of the most famous in Europe – under the name Dr. James Barry (as a tribute to her uncle who had passed away by this point).
She was accepted.
From that moment on Margaret Bulkley ceased to exist. And James Barry took centre stage.
Ok, take a deep breath and lets continue.
2. Master of deception
So how did he pull it off? How did Dr. James Barry exist for 50-years (that’s right 50-years!) without anyone uncovering his secret?
In short, commitment. And towels. Lots and lots of towels.
It was a risky game James was playing impersonating a male doctor, if caught he could be thrown in prison and face years of hard labour.
So he had to take every measure to ensure he looked the part. Keeping his hair short was an obvious one.
The lack of facial hair wasn’t the hugest concern, as being clean shaven was popular among men at the time... What took the most effort was disguising his feminine figure.
But he had a simple solution for this. The aforementioned towels.
Each morning Barry’s servant’s task was to lay out six small towels that he would use as bandages to disguise his curves and broaden his shoulders.
Ingenious, and clearly effective!
Dr.James Barry and his lifelong servant in 1865
3. She had a fierce temper so she did!
In order to keep up the act, James perhaps overcompensated a little too much when it came to his brutish behaviour.
The Surgeon Barry was renowned for his quick temper, and was even twice challenged to two dual's by Men who claimed the Doctor was getting a little too flirtatious with their wives (total player).
Even the famous Florence Nightingale had an opinion on James Barry. Writing in her journal upon meeting him, she said: “He behaved like a brute.”
“The most hardened creature I ever met throughout the army.”
You can’t really help but crack a smile can you...
4. A pioneer in every aspect of her life
Look at the history books and a woman named Elizabeth Garrett Anderson is credited with being the first woman to ever graduate medical school.
But the history books don't account for Dr.James Barry. Who graduated medical school in 1812, obviously listed as a male student.
But, as we know there were no Y-Chromosomes to be seen in the genetic makeup of James. Which means TECHNICALLY he was the first ever woman to graduate medical school (confusing, we know).
On top of this Dr. Barry was an absolute visionary when it came to surgery, he even performed the first ever documented Cesarean Birth in which both mother and child survived, in Cape Town, 1826.
A future Prime Minister of South Africa was even named ‘James Barry Munnik Hertzog’ in the surgeon’s honour. Incredible.
And the cherry on top of the cake that was the life of Dr. James Barry... The fact he rose to become Inspector General in charge of military hospitals — the most senior medical position in the British Army...
So embarrassed were the British Military after James’ gender –bending secret was revealed, they placed an embargo on his military records being released for another 100-years...
But the secret just couldn’t be buried. The story got out, and people were mad to discover the true identity of Dr. James Barry...
Margaret Bulkley. The woman, who fooled the British Empire.
