In the 18th century, women faced a ton of misogyny, especially in terms of their education and profession. However, this did not stop Margaret Bulkley, who disguised herself as a man named James Barry to attend school and become a surgeon in the British army.
Early life
Margaret Ann Bulkley was born in Cork, Ireland in 1789. Her
parents were Mary Ann and Jeremiah Bulkley, and she had a brother named John. The
family lived in poverty. Her father grocer and held a government position in
the Weigh Houses of Cork. He lost
money from the arranged marriage of his son, which led him to abandon his
family and flee to Dublin, Ireland.
Because of their circumstances, Bulkley’s mother petitioned
her family to help them. Bulkley reached out to her uncle, James Barry, who was
an artist in London. Bulkley and her mother moved to London, where James Barry introduced
her to colleagues of his who were physicians.
She expressed an interest in pursuing a medical career and joining
the army. However, at this point of time in Ireland, women were not legally
allowed to practice medicine. This did not stop Bulkley and her progressive mom
from figuring something out.
Education
Growing up, Bulkley was unable to attend formal school
because she was a girl, despite showing academic success early on. She enrolled
at Edinburgh University, where she disguised herself as a man named James
Barry.
Her disguise
In order to help her achieve her goals, her family helped
her develop her persona as James Barry. Barry had a flirtatious
ladies’ man personality who always wore an overcoat, regardless of the
weather. This disguise allowed her to enroll in college as well as join the
military. As we will see, her career was highly successful.
Over the course of her 46-year career, Bulkley fooled
everyone she came in contact with, from her fellow soldiers to prominent
figures in British Parliament.
Career
Bulkley enlisted in the British army under her disguise. He
military career allowed her to use her skills and education in places such as Africa,
Mauritius, Jamaica, Malta, and Corfu. She continued to rise through the
ranks and eventually earned the highest medical medal that a military doctor
could earn. As “Barry,” Bulkley was promoted from being an army hospital
assistant to being the Inspector General of the Army Medical Corps.
Legacy and impact
Bulkley, as Barry, was the first surgeon to successfully perform
a Cesarean section where both the mom and the baby survived. She was one of the
first female obstetricians in 18th century British Empire. She was
the first person to perform a cesarean section in South Africa
Bulkley’s true identity was not found until after her death
from dysentery in 1865. The nurse preparing her for her funeral discovered her
secret. Her final request was to be buried in the clothes she died in, which
meant the men’s clothes she used to aid in her disguise.
While some sources say that Bulkley was transgender, there is
no recorded evidence that she identified as male for any other reason beyond
having a medical career. This ambiguity has led to fears of misgendering her
and is part of the reason why she is often left out of history.
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