City's first female surgeon honoured with plaque

A plaque to commemorate a pioneering female doctor has been unveiled at her former home in Nottingham.

Margaret Glen Bott qualified in London in 1915 but had to search as far afield as Nottingham to find a hospital that would employ her.

She became the city's first female surgeon at Nottingham Women's Hospital, and also went on to become a magistrate and city councillor, as well as playing badminton for the county.

The Nottingham Women's History Group raised £945 to design, manufacture and install the plaque, which was unveiled at Margaret's former residence on Regent Street, where the spent the last years of her life, on Saturday.

Margaret, who was born in Bolton in 1891, had wanted to be a doctor from an early age but faced considerable obstacles, the history group said.

The British Medical Association only admitted women to its membership from 1892, and the Royal College of Surgeons England excluded them until 1909.

She also became assistant surgeon at the Nottingham Children's Hospital and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Margaret was known for travelling all over the city and county by bicycle early in her career to attend appointments and emergencies.

In 1937 she was made a magistrate, taking particular interest in juvenile cases, and from 1939 to 1958 she sat on the city council.

Margaret received an OBE in 1961 and only retired in 1968, a year before she died.

Miriam Jackson, from the Nottingham Women's History Group, said it was "wonderful" to see the plaque on the side of the building.

"I'm really keen to get as many plaques of women up across the city and help other people to understand that lots of women have achieved lots of things, and to help young women know that there are role models in front of them," she added.

Dr Kate Walker, a professor in obstetrics at the University of Nottingham and consultant obstetrician at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said she got "quite choked up" at the unveiling.

"I'm really inspired, really motivated and I'm full of hope because we all want to emulate her," she added.

Similarly, Dr Sue Ward, an obstetrician and gynaecologist at Kings Mill Hospital in Sutton-in-Ashfield, said: "I admire the way she involved herself in the life of Nottingham.

"Doing this job is a great thing and its a joy to deliver people's babies, but if you get involved in other things it keeps you going, so I want to be like her."

Brothers Malcolm and Bruce Glen Bott attended the unveiling after finding out Margaret was their first cousin, twice removed.

"There are people with the Glen Bott name, so I felt it was important to be here to witness something as part of our family history," said Bruce.

"It's not everyday of the week a family member is honoured with a plaque, its very commendable."

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