The Perfect Gentleman

I’m often asked if Ella Parker is based on Dr. James Barry. She’s not. But I was glad to confirm that history recorded at least one woman was able to disguise herself as a man and become a distinguished doctor. The biography of Dr. Barry is intriguing, well-written, and shows how brilliant and mysterious an individual he was. The best find for me was the list of classes Barry attended at the University of Edinburgh. I sent my main character into the same classes, including the optional midwifery, and the private class with a prestigious teacher. This biography gave me… show more.

The notable Victorian physician, Dr. James Barry, was born female. Aided by her family, she passed as a young man in order to enter the University of Edinburgh to study medicine. Barry's true parentage remains unverifiable, but a good deal is known about the doctor's long career as a British Army Surgeon. Dr. James Barry is remembered for improving conditions for wounded soldiers, reforms in hygiene (revolutionary, at that time), and for performing one of the early successful caesarian surgical deliveries, in which both mother and infant survived. There have been several biographies written about Barry but June Rose's The… show more.