Sophia Jex-Blake

Born in Hastings on January 21, 1840, Sophia Jex-Blake became one of the best-known campaigners for women’s medical education in Britain. After studying at Queen’s College in London and spending time in the United States, she decided to pursue medicine at a time when universities and professional bodies largely excluded women.

She is especially remembered for leading the fight to study medicine at the University of Edinburgh in 1869, where she and the other women later known as the Edinburgh Seven faced fierce resistance. Although that struggle was difficult and did not immediately end in victory, it became a turning point in the wider movement for women’s access to medical training and professional qualification.

Jex-Blake went on to qualify as a doctor, became the first woman to practice medicine in Scotland, and helped found the London School of Medicine for Women. In 1886 she also established the Edinburgh School of Medicine for Women, extending opportunities for future generations. She died on January 7, 1912, but her career remains closely tied to the long campaign that changed British medicine.