Octavia Margaret Wilberforce (1888-1963) was born in Lavington in Sussex on 8 Jan 1888, the daughter of Reginald and Anna Wilberforce who was granddaughter of William Wilberforce. In Jul 1909, the young women had become friends with Elizabeth Robins, the suffrage campaigner who would become her companion for a number of years. When a maid became ill in 1910, it was suggested that she took her to see Louisa Martindale, one of the doctors at Brighton County Hospital. The meeting influenced her decision to become a doctor herself, a step that was opposed by her parents. Her father arranged for her instead to marry Charles Buxton, the eldest son of Lord Buxton. Octavia refused and was struck from his will but Robins offered to help fund the course, as did Lord Buxton. In 1913 Wilberforce entered the London School of Medicine after studying privately for the entrance examinations, later moving to Dublin to continue the work. She returned to London and treated British casualties at St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington until the end of the war. After this Wilberforce returned to Brighton and opened a medical practice there at Montpelier Crescent. Additionally, she became active in the campaign run by Elizabeth Robins and Dr Louisa Martindale to install a new women's hospital in Brighton that would be named the New Sussex Hospital. She was one of three visiting doctors before later being appointed the hospital's head physician. She, Elizabeth Robins and Marjorie Hubert also helped set up a convalescent home at Backsettown, Henfield, in Robins's country home for overworked professional women in 1927. During the Second World War, she came to know Leonard and Virginia Woolf and was asked for medical advice during the writer's last illness. Octavia Wilberforce officially retired from the New Sussex Hospital in 1954, but she continued to work on Sussex County Council and at Backsettown until her death in 1963.
The archive consists of a bound typescript autobiography (c.1952), correspondence (1918-1920), copies of papers written by Wilberforce (1928-c.1960), photographs (c. 1885-1960), memorials and an obituary.
This collection is available for research. Readers are advised to contact The Women's Library in advance of their first visit.
Donated to The Fawcett Library by The Backsettown Trustees in two accessions during 1983, with an accrual in 2007.
Wilberforce's correspondence with Virginia Woolf (1940-41) and Leonard Woolf (1941-63) is held by Sussex University Library Special Collections (Ref. : SxMs 13 and SxMs 18).
Fawcett Library Catalogue
Unedited typescript (with copyright instructions) version of her autobiography. Covers the period from her childhood to her retirement and charts the close and important relationship with Elizabeth Robins (1862-1952). 2 bound volumes.
A published copy of this work is held at The Women's Library: 'Octavia Wilberforce: the autobiography of a pioneer woman doctor' edited by Pat Jalland (London: Cassell, 1989).
16 letters written from Dublin, 1 letter written from Bachset. Covering period when Miss Wilberforce was doing midwifery at the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin and Miss Robins was staying with friends in the North of England. Typescript copies.
Dr Wilberforce sent the original letters to Elizabeth Robins from Graylingwell Mental Hospital, Chichester, where Dr Wilberforce was temporarily employed. 12 items. Typescript copies.
By Dr Wilberforce, reprinted from British Medical Journal Feb 1933
By Dr Wilberforce, reprinted from The Lancet
By Dr Wilberforce. Reprinted from Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine.
Typescript for talk
Typescript for a talk about recent medical progress.
Untitled typescript on Dr Wilberforce's experiences with the NHS
Untitled typescript on preparing for retirement.
4 photographs.
Photograph, printed, paper, monochrome, young girl seated holding a small bunch of flowers, mounted on card, legend underneath 'At Home Portrait, Elliott & Fry, 55 Baker Street', on reverse 'Elliott & Fry, 55 Baker Street No. 168139a'.
Photograph, printed, paper, monochrome, formal group portrait of LSMW students and staff, taken in the courtyard at Hunter Street. With manuscript key to the LSMW group in Octavia Wilberforce's hand. The key identifies the 7 members of staff and 30 students by name, 'arranged according to intelligence'; symbols beside the names of her fellow students indicate how intelligent Wilberforce thought they were.
Pictured from left to right:
Top Row: Adam, Ritchie, Pain, Banes, Bankes, MacGill, Hammond, ?
Second Row: Lesser, Day, Prior, Gardner (dental student), Taylor, Crow, Elman, Bevan, Stocks, ?, Landor
Third Row: Hamill, Howard, Laycock (Chemistry, Biology), Baines (Under Secretary), Widdows (Chemistry), Brooks [Louie Brooks] (School Secretary), Stony [Edith Stoney, sister of Dr Florence Stoney] (Physics), Waller (Physics), Edminson (Librarian)
Front Row: Von Armin, Octavia Wilberforce, Grimmer, Fisher, Archer, Morris, Krause, Maxwell
Photograph, printed, paper, monochrome, formal group of 7 female medical students with 2 male doctors, Wilberforce possibly seated second from the left in the front row.
Photograph, printed, paper, polychrome, two women standing in a garden.
Memorials and obituary for Wilberforce, Jan 1964 [died 19 Dec 1963].
Order for service at All Saints, Hove in memory of Octavia Wilberforce, 3 Jan 1964.
Printed text of the address given at Octavia Wilberforce's memorial service at Hove parish church, by Professor the Reverend VA Demant.
Typescript text of an obituary by Dr Honor Smith, one page.