Octavia Wilberforce

Octavia Wilberforce, the daughter of Reginald and Anna Wilberforce, was born in Lavington, Sussex in 1888. Octavia was the granddaughter of Samuel Wilberforce (1805-1873), Bishop of Winchester, the son of William Wilberforce (1759-1833), the leader of the campaign against the slave trade.

In 1910 Octavia was worried about the health of her housemaid. It was suggested that she took her housemaid to see Louisa Martindale, one of the new doctors at Brighton County Hospital. Octavia became friends with Louisa and after a while decided that she would also like to be a doctor. However, her parents were totally opposed to the idea and refused to fund her studies.

Reginald Wilberforce had arranged for Octavia to marry Charles Buxton, the eldest son of Lord Buxton, a wealthy businessman and prominent politician. Octavia refused to marry Charles and insisted that she wanted a career in medicine. Her father was so angry at her decision that he cut Octavia out of his will.

In July 1909, Octavia had become friends with Elizabeth Robins, the campaigner for women's rights. When Elizabeth heard of Octavia's problems, she offered to help fund her studies. Lord Buxton also agreed to help and in 1913 she was able to start her course at the London School of Medicine. During the First World War Octavia Wilberforce treated British casualties at St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington.

After a spell working in Dublin, Octavia returned to Brighton were she opened her own medical practice in the town. Octavia joined Elizabeth Robins and Dr. Louisa Martindale's campaign for a new fifty-bed, women's hospital in Brighton. After the New Sussex Hospital for Women in Brighton opened, Octavia became one of the three visiting doctors. Later she was appointed as the hospital's head physician.

In 1927 Octavia Wilberforce helped Elizabeth Robins and Dr. Marjorie Hubert set up a convalescent home at Backsettown, Henfield, for overworked professional women. Octavia Wilberforce used the convalescent home as a means of exploring the best way of helping people to become fit and healthy. Patients were instructed not to talk about illness. Octavia believed diet was very important and patients were fed on locally produced fresh food. Whenever possible, patients were encouraged to eat their meals in the garden.

Octavia Wilberforce retired from the New Sussex Hospital in 1954, but she continued to work at Backsettown until her death in 1963.

Biographical Links

Elizabeth Robins
Louisa Martindale

Sources

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Further Reading

Pat Jalland (edited), 'Octavia Wilberforce, The Autobiography of a Pioneer Women Doctor, Cassell (1989)
Angela John, Elizabeth Robins: Staging a Life, Routledge (1995)

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