Who was Dr Fairfield? A story lost among the archives.

Abstract

Dr Letitia Fairfield (1885–1978) was a doctor, lawyer, feminist, a medic in the First World War, and the first ever female Chief Medical Officer for London. She worked against the face of male adversity at a time when women doctors were few, and fought contemporary stereotypes to champion causes and a career that she felt passionate about. However, her story has been somewhat lost in history. It was, perhaps, overshadowed by the scandal of her sister, Rebecca West, who had an illegitimate child with HG Wells, thereby attracting contemporary tabloid interest that proved a more compelling read than her sister’s public health campaigns. She may also represent one of the many pioneering female doctors whose achievements have never been told and celebrated as fervently as those of their male counterparts. Lettie, as she was known by friends and family, was the eldest of three daughters of the Anglo-Irishman Charles Fairfield (1842–1906) and …