Who was Frances Ivens?

Frances Ivens was born in 1870 near Rugby, Warwickshire, and led an undemanding life. All this was to change when she met Margaret Joyce, a student at the London School of Medicine for Women, who encouraged Frances to join her in a career in medicine. In 1894 Frances did just that, entering the London School of Medicine for Women herself, and undertaking her clinical studies at the Royal Free Hospital.

Frances graduated in 1900 with a Gold Medal in Obstetrics and Honours in Forensic Medicine. This was quickly followed by a first-class Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine and Surgery and by 1903 she was a Master of Surgery. Frances was only the third women ever to achieve this highest advanced surgical qualification. Further postgraduate experience was obtained in obstetrics and gynaecology in Dublin and Vienna.

However, at this time, qualified women doctors had few opportunities to obtain house posts in the major teaching hospitals and most junior positions were only available in women-run hospitals. Women doctors were expected to specialise in women’s medicine and the chance to break out of this field was rare.

In 1907, Dr Ivens moved to Liverpool to take up the post of Honorary Gynaecological Surgeon at the Stanley Hospital, becoming the first woman to hold such a post. Whilst in Liverpool, her growing status and reputation allowed her to advocate widely for the rights of women, children and wider feminist causes; she was an active member of the women’s suffrage movement and the North of England Medical Women’s Society.

Coming of War

On the outbreak of war, Frances volunteered for service with the Scottish Women’s Hospital (SWH), founded by Dr Elsie Inglis.  The War Office refused to allow women doctors to serve overseas, and so many women, undeterred, set up their own organisations and headed to the continent anyway.

In this way, Dr Frances Ivens found herself on her way to France in December 1914, as head of a unit of the SWH to set up a hospital, staffed entirely by women, at the Abbaye de Royaumont (about 30km north of Paris) to treat wounded French soldiers.  Royaumont was a challenging prospect; no electricity, no water and certainly no beds. However, through grit and determination, Frances and her team of fellow medics, orderlies, chauffeurs and administrators soon turned the Abbey into a well-run hospital that gained an excellent reputation. Starting out with 100 beds, by the end of the war this number had risen to 600. Operating under difficult conditions by candlelight, Frances led by example; she often worked until 2 or 3am but was always back on the wards at 7am checking on her patients. Dr Louisa Martindale, visiting in 1915, wrote that she was:

‘Tremendously impressed… Most of all I was lost in admiration of the splendid organising and administrative powers of the Chief Medical Officer, Miss Ivens – of her endurance, courage and above all her surgical skill.’

One of the busiest periods for the hospital and Dr Ivens came in 1916 with the Battle of the Somme. Ivens and her fellow surgeons worked through the night for several days, managing on just a couple of hours sleep. This was only surpassed by the German Spring Offensive of 1918. Radiographer Florence Anderson, who worked at the advance casualty clearing station Dr Ivens had been asked to set up at Villers-Cotteret, wrote:

‘Wounded came in all night. The ward next to the x-ray department was a nightmare. Black blankets on the beds. On each men were dying, screaming, unconscious and delirious, the Sisters doing their work the best way they could with lanterns – Miss Ivens operating, operating, operating by candle light. Six amputations of the leg, and all the time, the horrible bang bang of the bombs and the munition train, and shrapnel sometimes falling on the roof. Then the weariness!’

As well as her obvious professionalism and dedication to the hospital, Frances was always mindful of the morale and conditions of her staff, ensuring she did whatever she could to ensure these were good. The patients referred to her fondly as ‘La Madame Colonelle’ and it is clear that she was held in high regard by all as demonstrated in these words of Vera Collum’s:

‘And when the call came we quite contentedly fell in with her views and just let her! Why was it? Because we all knew our Chief never asked any of her staff to do anything or face anything that she would not do, endure or face herself’.

As the war came to an end and after five years in France, with only one period of leave, Dr Frances Ivens was awarded the Legion d’Honneur and the Croix de Guerre with palm by the French for her work treating their wounded.

After the War

Frances returned to Liverpool after the war and continued her medical career, achieving many more accolades, alongside campaigning for the improvement of health provision for women and children. In 1929 she became a Commander of the British Empire in recognition of her public service.

In 1930 at the age of 60, she married an old friend, Charles Knowles, and upon his retirement they moved to his family home, Killagordon in Truro, Cornwall. She kept in touch with her former Royaumont colleagues as president of the Royaumont Association.

On the outbreak of the Second World War, Frances acted as the Red Cross Chief Medical Officer of Health for Cornwall, a post she held until the 6th February 1944, the day she died. Frances was buried at Kenwyn Church at a funeral attended by many of her former Royaumont colleagues.

Finding the Grave

Sue Robinson had been looking for Frances’ lost grave for many years before finally finding it in the summer of 2021 in Kenwyn Churchyard, Truro. It was neglected and sadly abandoned; overgrown and the kerbs rotting away with age.  Frances’ name was only just visible.  With permission from the church and family, Wenches in Trenches have raised funds to have the grave refurbished and a new stone celebrating her achievements installed. Sue hopes to hold a ceremony to unveil these in late summer 2022. All will be welcome.

Winston Churchill said of the achievements of the Scottish Women’s Hospital female doctors and nurses that ‘they will shine in history’. Although those lights may have dimmed over the years when these women were often forgotten, they are rightly being brought back into the limelight again.

Wenches in Trenches are looking for other forgotten graves of women who made a contribution during the First World War, if you are interested in finding out more about this project or their work in general, please visit: www.wenchesintrenches.org or email: Wenches2014@gmail.com

Wenches in Trenches group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/381631619655707/

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Heritage Blog

https://rcogheritage.wordpress.com/2017/08/24/pioneers-frances-ivens-1870-1944-frcog-1929/

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the British Association for Local History (BALH). Any content provided by our contributors is of their own opinion and is not intended to malign any individual, group, organisation, or entity.