Charlotte Ferguson-Davie
Charlotte Elizabeth Ferguson-Davie | |
|---|---|
| Born | Charlotte Elizabeth Hull 7 July 1865 |
| Died | 24 March 1943 (aged 77)[1] |
| Medical career | |
| Profession | Physician |
| Institutions | St. Andrew Mission Hospital |
| Sub-specialties | Medical missionary |
| Notable works | In Rubber Lands: An Account of the Work of the Church in Malaya |
Charlotte Elizabeth Ferguson-Davie OBE (7 July 1865 – 24 March 1943) was a British medical doctor and the founder of the St. Andrew's Medical Mission and the St. Andrew Mission Hospital, the first women's and children's clinic in Singapore.
Biography
Ferguson-Davie was born on 7 July 1865 in Cheetham, Manchester, where her father Irish geologist Edward Hull was working in the Geological Surveyer's Office.[2] Raised in Ireland, she studied at Alexandra College in Dublin and earned a B.A. degree in German from the Royal University of Ireland.[3][4] Ferguson-Davie went on to become a medical doctor.[5][6] After completing the requirements for her bachelor's degrees in medicine and surgery at the London School of Medicine for Women in 1895,[4][7] she went to India as a medical missionary in 1897.[4][8]
Returning to England after a few years, Ferguson-Davie completed the requirements for her M.D. degree at the London School of Medicine for Women in 1901.[9][10] In 1902 back working in India, she married the Anglican missionary Right Reverend Charles James Ferguson-Davie.[4][6] Ferguson-Davie and her husband came to Singapore in 1909.[4][11]
In 1913, she helped create the St. Andrew Medical Mission in order to help care for the "poor and disadvantaged."[12] She opened a second clinic in 1914.[13] In 1921, she published a book, In Rubber Lands: An Account of the Work of the Church in Malaya.[6]
In 1923, she created the first women's and children's clinic in Singapore, named the St. Andrew's Mission Hospital (SAMH).[14] She was able to obtain the land and get architects to work for her for almost "nothing."[15] The next year, in 1924, Ferguson-Davie expanded the services that SAMH provided, including a venereal disease clinic. Ferguson-Davie set up training classes, teaching nursing and midwifery.[6]
Ferguson-Davie became an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1927 and in the same year, retired. She and her husband then moved to South Africa, where he worked at Fort Hare College. Ferguson-Davie died in 1943.[4][6]
Legacy
Ferguson-Davie was recognized for her medical work during the St. Andrew's Cathedral's Thanksgiving service in 2013.[15] In 2014, she was inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame.[6]
References
- ^ a b "Deaths". The Times. 26 March 1943. p. 1.
- ^ "Charlotte Elizabeth Hull". England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538–1975. 15 August 1865.
- ^ Olsen, Rider Fraser (1933). "Ferguson-Davie, Mrs. Charlotte Elizabeth". Who's Who in Natal. Knox Printing & Publishing. p. 90. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "A Distinguished Medical Missionary". The South African Outlook. Vol. 73. 1 April 1943. p. 59. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
- ^ Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed & Official Classes. Kelly's Directories. 1912. p. 1548.
- ^ a b c d e f "Charlotte Elizabeth Ferguson-Davie". Singapore Women's Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- ^ "Universities and Colleges". The British Medical Journal. 23 November 1895. p. 1329. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
- ^ "St. Andrews Medical Dispensary". Roots. National Heritage Board. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- ^ "Medical News". The Lancet. 28 December 1901. p. 1846. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ "Universities and Colleges". The British Medical Journal. 28 December 1901. p. 1885. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ "On This Day in History: 18 October, SAMH Founder's Day". 100 Years of SAMH. 18 October 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- ^ Luk, Sabrina Ching Yuen (26 March 2014). Health Insurance Reforms in Asia. Routledge. p. 83. ISBN 9781317748649.
- ^ "Anglican Diocese of Singapore". Singapore Infopedia. National Library of Singapore. Archived from the original on 30 September 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- ^ Vasko, Lydia (11 July 2014). "Window Into Our Heritage". The Straits Times. Retrieved 21 November 2017 – via LexisNexis.
- ^ a b "100 Years of Medical Missions". The Diocese of Singapore. 20 May 2013. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2017.