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William Newmarch was born in Thirsk, Yorkshire, on 28 January, 1820, and was a self-educated man. He began employment as a clerk with a distributor of stamps but then moved to the Yorkshire Fire and Life Office and thence to Messrs. Leathams' banking house. Following his early marriage, in 1846 he moved to London and worked on the Morning Chronicle as well as in the management of Agra Bank. Here his knowledge of banking and business brought him into contact with the leading economists and businessmen in the City including Thomas Tooke who supported Newmarch's successful application to become a Fellow of the Statistical Society in 1847. Four years later, in 1851, he became Secretary to the Globe Insurance Company and began work with Tooke on preparing volumes 5 and 6 of the History of Prices. These were published in 1857 and quickly became classics, generally acknowledged as a continuation and development of Tooke's work rather than a simple collaboration. In 1857 he gave evidence in committee on the Bank Acts and in 1861he received the unusual honour for a businessman of being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in recognition of his achievements. The following year he became the first manager of Glyn, Mills & Co. bank where he remained until his retirement in 1881 following a stroke. Glynn, Mills & Co. provided banking facilities for more than 200 of the new railway companies as well as handling the important Canadian financial agency and Newmarch became a director of the Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada. Throughout his career Newmarch was a journalist contributing articles to magazines and newspapers including the Economist, the Statist, and the Times, especially on prices, the gold supply and the movement of money. With the RSS he was Secretary from 1854 to 1861, Editor of the Journal, 1852-1862, Vice-President in 1863, and from 1871 to 1881, as well as President between 1869 and 1871 and a contributor of numerous articles to the Society's Journal. He was also a member and Secretary of the Political Economy Club, founder of the Adam Smith Club and a prime mover in establishing the Tooke Professorship at King's College London. He died at Torquay, Devon, on 23 March, 1882, and was commemorated by the establishment of the Society's Newmarch Memorial Essay and by the Newmarch Professorship of Economic Science at University College London. Publications: The New Supplies of Gold (1853); Pitt's Financial Operations (1855); A History of Prices and of the State of the Circulation during the Nine Years 1848-56 (1857).

There were five Devis family artists: Arthur Devis ([1711]-1787), his half-brother Anthony Devis, (1729-1816), the two sons of Arthur, Thomas Anthony Devis (1757-1810), and Arthur William Devis (1762-1822), and Arthur Devis' son-in-law Robert Marris (1750-1827). Arthur Devis was a pupil of Peter Tillemans. He exhibited twenty paintings at the Free Society of Artists, largely portraits, 1762-1780, (he specialised in portraits of landed familes), and also restored Sir James Thornhill's paintings in the hall at Greenwich. Anthony Devis produced largely landscapes. His original work provided material for some of the engravings used by Wedgwood to decorate Catherine the Great's 'Frog Service'. Little is known of Thomas Anthony Devis, and almost none of his work can be identified. Arthur William Devis was appointed draughtsman on the Antelope, in about 1783, and was shipwrecked. He travelled onto Bengal, India, and painted portraits of English society and local people during his stay there, 1784-1795. On his return to England in 1795, he continued his work, including 'The Death of Nelson', 1805 (at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich). He exhibited sixty-five pictures at the Royal Academy during his professional career between 1779-1821. Robert Maris married Arthur Devis' daughter Frances. His work is not well known, but comprises largely landscape drawings. Whilst a young man he lived and travelled with Anthony Devis, who very probably influenced his work.

Sydney Herbert Pavière (1891-1971), was Art Director and Curator, Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston, Lancashire, 1926-1959. The collection of Devis family art held by the gallery almost certainly inspired Pavière's interest, leading him to produce a number of publications about them.

H A Hammelmann was a qualified lawyer who made eighteenth century book illustration his special interest and life's work. He died in 1969.

T S R Boase (1898-1974) was Director of the Courtauld Institute of Art and Professor of History of Art, University of London, 1937-1947 and President of Magdalen College, Oxford, 1947-1968. He was also a Fellow of the British Academy, 1961, Trustee of the National Gallery, 1947-1953, and British Museum, 1950-1969 and a member of the Advisory Council of the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1947-1970.

Publications: by Hammelmann: Book Illustrators in Eighteenth-century England (Yale University Press, 1975); Hugo von Hofmannsthal (Bowes & Bowes, London, 1957). Articles: The Book Handbook, later, The Book Collector: 'English Eighteenth-century Book Illustrators' BH Vol 2 No 3, p 127 (September 1951); 'Gravelot in England' BH Vol 2 No 4, p 176 (March 1952); 'Isaac Taylor the Elder' BC Vol 1 No 1, p 14 (Spring 1952); 'Samuel Wale R.A' BC Vol 1 No 3, p 150 (Autumn 1952); 'Francis Hayman, R.A' BC Vol 2 No 2, p 116 (Summer 1953); 'Anthony Walker' BC Vol 3 No 2 (Summer 1954); 'Henry Fuseli' BC Vol 6 No 4, p 350 (Winter 1957); 'John Vanderbank' BC Vol 17 no 3 (Autumn 1968); from Country Life: 'A Master of Illustration' [Isaac Taylor] Vol CVII, p 1876 (1950); 'Engraved Title-pages of the 18th Century' Vol CVIII, p 1281 (1950); 'Old English Almanacs' Country Life Annual, p 167 (1952); 'The Art of Francis Hayman' Vol CXVI, p 1258 (1954); 'Some 18th Century Drawing-books' Vol CXVI, p 1756 (1954); 'A Neglected Artist's Sketchbook' [Philippe Jacques de Loutherbourg] Country Life Annual, p 152 (1956); 'Miniature Libraries for Children' Vol CXXII, p 1420 (1957); 'An English Baroque Illustrator' [John Sturt] Country Life Annual, p 111 (1957); 'An Illustrator of Georgian London' [Samuel Wale] Vol CXXIV, p 1333 (1958); 'Portrayer of 18th Century Cockneys' [Louis Philippe Boitard] Vol CXXVI, p 356 (1959); 'A French Master of English Illustration: Gravelot's Years in London' Vol CXXVI, p 1085 (1959); 'Bookbinder with a Noble Touch: The Comte de Caumont' Vol CXXXVI, p 1573 (1964); 'French Designer of English Ornaments: the Work of Simon Gribelin' Country Life Annual, p 29 (1964); 'German Engraver in Georgian London' [Johann Müller] Vol CXXXVIII, p 560 (1965); 'A Draughtsman in Hogarth's Shadow: The Drawings of John Vanderbank' Vol CXLI, p 32 (1967); 'First Engraver at the Royal Academy' [Thomas Major] Vol CXLII, p 616 (1967); 'Queen Victoria's Etchings' Vol CXLIII, p 878 (1968); 'A Georgian Guide to Deportment' Vol CXLIII, p 1272 (1968); 'Edward Burney's Drawings' Vol CXLIII, p 1504 (1968); 'Music-making at Home' Vol CXLIV, p 1052 (1968); 'A Venetian View of Peasant Life' Vol CXLIV, p 1198 (1968); 'Etcher with a Velvet Tone: Thomas Worlidge' Vol CXLV, p 414 (1969); 'Pioneers of Space Travel' Vol CXLVI, p 66 (1969); 'The Poet's Seasons Delineated' [Illustrators of J. Thomson's poem "The Seasons", from its first publication in 1730, onwards] Country Life Annual, p 52 (1970); from Apollo: 'Shakespeare's First Illustrators' Vol 88, suppl p 1-4 (August 1968); from The Connoisseur: 'Shakespeare Illustration: the Earliest Known Originals' Vol 141 pp 144-9 (April 1958); 'Anthony Walker: A gifted engraver and illustrator' Vol 168 pp 167-74 (July 1968); from Master Drawings: 'John Vanderbank's Don Quixote' Vol 7 No 1, pp 3-15 (Spring 1969); from the Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes: 'Two Eighteenth-century frontispieces' Vol XXXI pp 448-449 (1968).
By Boase: from the British Museum Quarterly: 'An extra-illustrated second folio of Shakespeare' Vol XX pp 4-8 (March 1955); from the Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes: 'Illustrations of Shakespeare's plays in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth centuries' Vol X pp 83-108 (1947); 'Macklin and Bowyer' Vol XXVI pp 148-77 (1963); 'Biblical Illustration in Nineteenth-century English Art' Vol XXIX pp 349-67 (1966).

Born in Deptford, 1797; taught perspective by his father (a drawing master) and Samuel Prout; exhibited two drawings at the Royal Academy aged thirteen; became a water-colour painter and was awarded a silver medal by the Society of Arts aged eighteen; exhibited with the Society of Painters in Water-colours, 1818, and continued to exhibit there regularly; became a member of the Society, 1821; adopted lithography as a way of providing examples for the use of students, publishing a number of well received lithographic works, notably Sketches at Home and Abroad, 1836, The Park and the Forest, 1841, and Picturesque Selections, 1861; died in Barnes, 1863.
Publications: Views of Pompeii drawn on stone by J D Harding; after drawings by W Light (London, 1828); Pugin's Gothic Ornaments, selected from various buildings in England and France, drawn on stone by J D Harding (London, [1831]); The Costumes of the French Pyrenees, drawn on stone by J D Harding, from original sketches, by J Johnson (London, 1832);Elementary Art, or the Use of the Lead Pencil (London, 1834); Sketches at Home and Abroad (London, 1836); J D H's Drawing Book (London, 1838); H's Sketches at home and abroad (London, [1839]); The Park and the Forest (London, 1841); Principles and Practices of Art (London, 1845); Lessons on Art (London, 1849); Lessons on Trees (London, 1850); Drawing Models and their Uses (London, 1854); The Early Drawing Book (London, [1856]); The Guide and Companion to the "Lessons on Art" (London, [1858]); Picturesque Selections: drawn on stone (London, [1861]).

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) was founded in 1929 following collaboration between William Blair-Bell, who became the first president, and William Fletcher Shaw, the first honorary secretary. Prior to 1929 England had two distinguished medical Royal colleges, the Royal College of Physicians of London (founded 1518) and the Royal College of Surgeons of England (founded 1800). The three Scottish medical royal colleges had all been founded by the end of the seventeenth century. The RCOG was the first to represent a speciality other than medicine and surgery. It was followed in due course by the establishment of the Royal Colleges of General Practitioners, Radiologists, Pathologists, Psychiatrists, Ophthalmologists, Anaesthetists and Paediatricians.

The College is a professional membership association with charitable status and is concerned with all matters relating to the science and practice of obstetrics and gynaecology. The main purpose is to act as the examination body for doctors wanting to specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology and then as a membership organisation to those who pass the examination. It is a self-funded and independent body. The College operates through a system of committees, serviced by the College departments.

The position of Deputy College Secretary was established in the late 1970s. The Deputy College Secretary is the head of the College's Administration Department and also provides secretarial and administrative support for all the Honorary Officers. The Deputy College Secretary is responsible for: management and supervision of the department, editorial, production and circulation of all major printing requirements for the College, the RCOG website, public relations, the Fellows & Members database and Admission ceremonies, RCOG publications and the Bookshop, travel for College business, international meetings and congresses, representatives on outside bodies, attendance at Committee meetings, special projects given by Officers. The department services the Consumers' Forum, the Ethics Committee, the Services Board, Joint Standing Committees with other Medical Colleges and associations and related sub-committees, and working parties. The Annual Report, Register of Fellows and Members and The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist are compiled within this department, as are proceedings of study groups and reports of working parties. The department is additionally responsible for the issue of press releases, press conferences and all media contacts. The College has an appointed Honorary Public Relations Officer who is a Fellow of the College.

In 1967 a bill to legalise the medical termination of pregnancy in certain circumstances was introduced to parliament by the MP David Steel. The College was closely involved with and monitored the provisions of the bill during its progress through Parliament until its enactment.

The joint working party to consider a proposed Faculty of Family Planning arose out of discussions between the National Association of Family Planning Doctors and the Joint Committee on Contraception of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP)(normally referred to as the Joint Committee on Contraception). The first meeting was held in November 1987. Initially it was expected that a joint RCOG/RCGP Faculty would be established; in 1991, however, the RCGP withdrew and the RCOG finally set up a Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care (FFPRHC) within the College in 1993. In 1998 the FFPRHC withdrew from the College to its own premises.

In July 1975 it was agreed that a Conference of Royal Colleges and their Faculties of Medicine in the UK should be formed. Sir Rodney Smith was proposed as the first chairman. Membership was to include one representative from each constituent member. It was envisaged that, in addition to the UK Conference, the Scottish Colleges and perhaps those in England and Wales would need to meet separately from time to time. In October 1976 the name was changed to the Conference of Medical Royal Colleges.

An Executive Committee was established as a standing committee of the RCOG in 1926. By June 1930 it had combined with another standing committee, the Finance and Establishment Committee, to form the Finance and Executive Committee (F & E). The office of Honorary Treasurer was created by Council under the 1929 bye-laws of the College (ref: A1/9/1 p. 48), which state that the Honorary Treasurer's duties were to be as follows:- to pay all monies received by him on behalf of the College into a College account; to keep accounts of all monies received and expended and report monthly to the Finance and Executive Committee; to prepare quarterly reports to Council; to maintain an Income and Expenditure account and balance sheet. At an Executive Committee meeting in October 1929 it was decided that the Treasurer be given authority to arrange with the Auditors for one of their clerks to keep the necessary financial books of the College for £50 per annum. The President and Honorary secretary were also authorised to obtain any clerical assistance found necessary (Executive Committee meeting B1, 10 Oct 1929; Archives reference: A3M/1 p. 2). From this beginning the Accounts Department, renamed the Finance Department in 1999, developed. The Department, now headed by a Chief Accountant, offers financial support for the activities of the Honorary Treasurer and is responsible for the following functions:- banking all income which includes subscriptions, examination and course fees and sales from publications; paying all the College's purchase invoices; co-ordinating the budgeting process; preparing the annual statutory accounts.

On 26 April 1973, at a meeting of the RCOG Committee on Contraception and Family Planning, it was decided that the committee should be renamed the Joint Committee on Contraception of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of General Practitioners, normally abbreviated as the Joint Committee on Contraception (JCC). In December 1974 the RCOG agreed to take over the secretarial and accounts work for the JCC. In 1993 the JCC was superseded by the Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care (FFPRHC); from this time the Faculty began to operate independently of the College. In 1998 the FFPRHC quitted its premises in the College.

In 1971 the College established a Family Planning Sub-committee to discuss proposals for the RCOG, together with the Royal College of General Practitioners, to issue a joint certificate of training in family planning based on assessment in family planning clinics. It was agreed that those doctors already recognised by the Family Planning Association (FPA) should be accepted under the new scheme, and that the FPA should be represented on the committee. The committee was superseded in 1972 by the RCOG/RCGP Committee on Contraception and Family Planning.

On 26 April 1973 it was decided that the committee should be renamed the Joint Committee on Contraception of the RCOG and RCGP, normally abbreviated as the Joint Committee on Contraception (JCC). The personnel of the committee remained unchanged, being dominated by representatives of the two eponymous royal colleges, with representatives from the FPA and the Society of Community Medicine. In December 1974 the RCOG agreed to take over the secretarial work for the JCC and office space was allotted for this purpose. In 1993 the JCC was superseded by the Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care (FFPRHC).

Overseas doctors' training schemes (ODTS) were instituted by the Department of Health after the Second World War to arrange postgraduate training in the UK for overseas doctors. Under the schemes the Department arranged training posts for doctors from overseas, monitored training and negotiated with the Home Office over visas. During the 1970s the royal medical colleges were also developing their own procedures for assisting and advising overseas doctors wishing to train in the UK. In the late 1980s responsibility for developing their own training schemes, including sponsorship, was passed to the royal medical colleges.

In 1983 the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists decided to expand its existing arrangements, which had hitherto been confined to the placement of postgraduates financed by funds from overseas in unpaid supernumerary posts. Double sponsorship schemes were therefore initiated, the overseas sponsor normally being the national or regional representative committee of the College; in countries without such committees sponsorship by Fellows or Members, or, exceptionally, deans of medical schools was considered. Placement of sponsored trainees and their subsequent supervision was the responsibility of the College's Director of Postgraduate Studies. In 1986 a Sponsorship Officer (now the ODTF Officer) was appointed.

In 1994 the ODTS section within the College acquired a careers side, currently run by a Careers Officer, who produces careers advice and guidelines. ODTF (the section was renamed in 2001) also maintains records of overseas doctors who have passed the membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (MRCOG). The ODTF falls under the umbrella of the Postgraduate Training Department of the College.

This working party was set up at the request of Council to prepare the report listed below. The report, chaired by David Painton FRCOG, set out the current legal position in England, Scotland and Wales regarding termination of pregnancy for fetal abnormality and made recommendations of relevance to obstetricians and gynaecologists who are prepared to carry out termination of pregnancy under these conditions.

The establishment of the Royal Commission on the National Health Service (NHS) was announced by the government in 1975. It was to consider the "best use and management of the financial and manpower resources of the NHS" (see the introduction to the minute book of the working party at M15M/1). The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) working party on evidence to the Royal Commission was set up on 16 June 1976, under the chairmanship of T L T Lewis, by the Finance and Executive Committee in order to submit evidence to the Commission on behalf of the College.

This committee was set up by Council in January 1961 under the chairmanship of H R MacLennan. Its report, Recommendations on the Principles and Organisation of General Practitioner Maternity Units and their relation to specialist Maternity Units, was published in January 1962.

At a meeting of the Finance and Executive Committee of the RCOG in November 1962 proposals were put forward for a survey "to ascertain facts appertaining to the discharge of normal maternity cases from hospital on the seventh day and to compare the findings with a control group discharged on the seventh day". The College hoped that the Ministry of Health would organise the survey, which would require the co-operation of the Central Midwives Board finance, Royal College of Midwives, the Association of Paediatricians and local health authorities. At a meeting of Council in January 1965 (A.249) it was noted the College had collected information concerning `early discharge' from some twenty or thirty hospitals in a pilot scheme. This information had been sent to the Ministry of Health for analysis with a view to launching a full-scale enquiry.

In 1967 the RCOG, in collaboration with the Simon Population Trust, carried out a survey among practising gynaecologists in order to determine their views and experience of the sterilisation of women, and the extent to which this operation was carried out in NHS hospitals. The results of the survey were subsequently written up in a report under the joint authorship of Sir John Peel, PRCOG, and Mr C P Blacker, Chairman of the Simon Population Trust. The report was published in the British Medical Journal in March 1969.

The hospital visiting working party was set up in January 1993 by Council under the chairmanship of the Honorary Secretary, Professor W Dunlop FRCOG. Its terms of reference were as follows: 1) to examine the implications of the rotation of registrars upon recognition of training posts; 2) to advise upon the abolition of the distinction between SHO training posts for DRCOG and MRCOG; 3) to assess the purpose of hospital visiting following the introduction of structured training; 4) to suggest appropriate revision of the current system of hospital visiting; 5) to report to Council via the Finance and executive Committee within three months (see terms of reference of the report, archives ref: M41/1).

Established by the Council of the RCOG in 1988, the working party's terms of reference were to review current postgraduate activities of the College, post general accreditation and to consider the need, feasibility and the format of assessment of the individual's maintenance of skills.

The working party was set up by order of the Council of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in March 1990. It met once and produced a paper on guidelines for private practice which was published in November.

The first College Archivist was appointed in 1985 at the instigation of the College Librarian and the Wellcome Institute to organise and list the archives of the College and deposits of private papers. The department is also responsible for records management and making recommendations on conservation needs; from 2008 it became involved in the electronic records management of the College. The College Archives originally came under the governance of the College Secretary's Office; in 2001 the Archives became part of a new Information Services department.

Declaration forms are signed by Members on admittance to the College. The declaration was instituted by William Blair Bell in 1929 as a formal acceptance to subscribe to the regulations of the College and lawful practice in obstetrics and gynaecology. Initially Members were notified by post, later they were required to sign their acceptance in a book at the admission ceremony. From the 1970's members were required to sign a form. The forms have been the responsibility of various College departments, including the Administration Department and the defunct Central Services Department; current responsibility sits with the Membership Services Department.

The governing body of the College is Council, which includes six Honorary Officers: the President, Senior Vice President, two Vice Presidents (who are elected by Council for a maximum of three years), the Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Secretary (whose term of office is for a maximum of seven years). The Honorary Officers meet on a weekly basis and each take turn to raise any issues they would like to discuss and give feedback on meetings they have attended.

Until 1930 the College did not have a permanent Secretary, but in December 1930 the President recommended that the private secretary of Sir William Fletcher Shaw, Miss W E Mallon be appointed as permanent Secretary to the College. Initially the function of the Secretary was purely administrative, as the College grew in size the Secretary became the senior manager of the College, responsible for general management of the College and all its departments in direct liaison with the College Officers, Council and committee chairmen. As the College Secretary's responsibilities expanded, it became necessary to pass certain functions to other departments or officers (for example, in the 1980's responsibility for overseas affairs was passed to the Vice President). In 1999 a Personnel Officer was appointed, under the overall control of the College Secretary. The role involves:

Attendance of Council meetings, the Finance and Executive Committee and Council elections.
Control of special funds.
Operational and management responsibility for major projects.
Overseeing the production of educational resources for training and continuing professional development.
Providing general education development support and advice in a number of forums.
In 2005 the post was renamed as the Chief Executive/Secretary to the Board of Trustees.

The decision-making work of the College is carried out through a Committee system, with administrative support from the various internal departments. The committees below are or were standing committees of the College established to make policy in relation to particular functions and interests of the College.

The Examination Committee was established by Council in 1929 as a standing committee of the College. Its first chairman was Dr T Watts Eden and its members comprised representatives from Scotland, Ireland and the provinces, with the College president, treasurer and two honorary secretaries as ex-officio members. The Committee's function was to select candidates for Membership through an examination of applications and qualifications. Examinations were carried out by a panel selected by the Committee.

The Committee drafted the regulations for the Diploma and Membership examinations. The first membership (MRCOG) examination was held in the Summer of 1930 (see B1M/1 p.12); from this time it has been held twice yearly. The Membership examination is designed for doctors who wished to specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology. In 1931 the Committee first agreed a fee should be levied on those taking the examination, although there was much wrangling over this issue. There was no formal decision to make candidates take a written examination, rather the process evolved from the initial examinations process of considering a candidates case history and qualifications. As the examination regulations evolved, the examination process became more analogous and less subjective. In 1970 it was decided to split the examination into two parts, known as the MRCOG Parts I and II (B1M/10 meeting C383); the first Part I examination was held in September 1970 and the first Part II examination the following year. The first Diploma in Obstetrics examination (DRCOG) was held on 2 March 1934 (ref: B1/3/2), primarily this examination has been intended for general practioners (GPs) who wish to include obstetrics and gynaecology as part of their service to patients. Organisation and administration of the examinations became the responsibility of the College's Examination Department.

Inspection and recognition (or otherwise) of hospitals was a regular part of the Committee's work from 1935 until 1944, when the Hospital Recognition Sub-committee was established. In 1947 this committee was recognised as a separate standing committee (see B4), removing the hospital recognition function from the Examination Committee. The process of managing the MRCOG and the DRCOG led to the establishment of the following sub-committees of the Examination Committee, to deal with specific issues:
1) Assessment
2) DRCOG
3) Part 1 MRCOG
4) Part 2 MRCOG EMQ's
5) Part 2 MRCOG essays
6) Part 2 MRCOG MCQ's
7) Part 2 MRCOG oral

By 2008 the functions of the Committee were listed as:
1) Responsible for establishing the content and recommending to the Education Board the format of College examinations.
2) Responsible for setting, marking and reviewing questions and question papers.
3) Ensuring the standard, validity and fairness of examinations and producing appropriate pass lists.
4) Overseeing the function of the Examination Department, including communication with candidates, the logistics of preparing for examinations and communications with overseas centres.
5) Recommending to the Education Board suitable individuals to become DRCOG and MRCOG examiners and suggesting suitable Members and Fellows to be Members of the various Sub-Committees of the Examination and Assessment Committee.
6) On a regular basis, reviewing relevant overseas examinations, in particular those where successful candidates gain exemption from the Part 1 MRCOG. Giving advice and help to overseas examinations and, from time to time, making recommendations with regard to suitable College representatives to be external examiners for these examinations.
7) Joint responsibility for the RCOG/London School of Tropical Medicine Diploma in Reproductive Health in Developing Countries.
8) Responsible for the examination for the Advanced Training Programme in Obstetric Ultrasound organised by the Standing Joint Committee of the RCOG/Royal College of Radiologists.

The College Museum was established in 1938 to collect and display pathological specimens and surgical and obstetrical instruments. From 1988, following the transfer of most specimens to other hospitals, the museum's role was confined to the displaying of instruments. The museum was disbanded in 1999. The Museum Committee was established in 1945 to administer the College Museum. In 1949 it changed its name to the Pathology Committee. The Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) was set up in 1950. Its terms of reference were as follows:

• to examine suggestions put forward for research.
• to advise Council on methods by which items of particular research could be carried out and to nominate, if necessary, ad hoc committees for the purpose.
• to advise Council on priority of any particular items of research.

In the 1950's the membership of the Pathology Committee and the Scientific Advisory Committee is listed in the annual reports as if they were co-extensive, and Pathology Committee meetings are noted in their minutes as taking place immediately after Scientific Advisory Committee meetings. In July 1966 the two committees were amalgamated, and henceforth were known as the Scientific Advisory and Pathology Committee (SAPC). The word Pathology was dropped from the committee title in April 1984. The Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), as it is now known, is currently serviced by the College's Clinical Governance and Standards Department and reports to the Standards Board. Its broad remit encompasses both basic and clinical science, including health services research. In 2008 it was defined as follows:

• To 'Horizon scan' and debate relevant scientific issues, including future developments of relevance to the specialty.
• To produce regular news items and/or opinion papers for the membership.
• To contribute to College responses on national policies and direction.
  • To react to requests for scientific advice from Officers, committees, working parties and Fellows/Members of the College.
• To advise Officers and appropriate committees about future national and international scientific and clinical meetings and study groups.

The College's Rare Tumour Registry was established in 1951 by agreement between the College and the governors of Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospitals. The Registry was to be located at the Chelsea Hospital for Women under the direction of the College's Pathology/Scientific Advisory Committee. A Registry for Diseases of the Trophoblast was established in 1961, and was administered as a subdivision of the Rare Tumour Registry. The word 'Rare' was dropped in 1964. In 1970 an Ovarian Tumour Panel was established and a renewed effort to register cases of hydatidiform mole was instituted. However, in 1973 the Tumour Registry was formally disbanded, except for the registration of cases of hydatidiform mole, which continued until circa 1988 (the Ovarian Tumour Panel was disbanded circa 1985). The registrar of the Tumour Registry was Magnus Haines (1909-1978). The registry for diseases of the trophoblast was organised by W W Parks and the prime mover on the Ovarian Tumour Panel was A D T Govan.

The Welsh Executive Committee was established by Council in 1972 as a standing committee of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) to represent the views of the College to the Welsh Office during the reorganisation of health services in Wales. Its first meeting took place on 23 July 1972 with J R E James serving as Chairman; predominately meetings were held at Llandrindod Wells Hospital. In 2008 its remit was: to discuss and advise upon specialty related matters, particularly within the Principality of Wales. Minutes were kept by the Secretary and submitted to the Council of the RCOG for ratification, this practice continues presently.

A Subspecialty Board first met in December 1984 as a sub-committee of the Higher Training Committee. The Board was created to fulfil some of the recommendations of the Working Party on Further Specialisation within Obstetrics and Gynaecology and the Sub-specialisation Advisory Group. In July 1988 the Board became a standing committee. Its present remit is to advise and keep under review the development of subspecialisation in four fields (gynaecological oncology, reproductive medicine, maternal and fetal medicine, and urogynaecology) including requirements and regulations for subspecialist training and accreditation. It is also responsible for establishing the criteria and procedures for approval of subspecialty trainees, training centres and training programmes, and for subspecialist accreditation on completion of training. The Committee:

• Ensures visits are arranged to assess prospective training centres and trainees in post.
  • Makes recommendations to the Education Board regarding the recognition of centres and programmes on the basis of advice provided in the visitors' reports.

• Makes recommendations to the Education Board regarding the award of certificates of Subspecialist Accreditation on the basis of advice provided in visitors' reports following trainee final review visits.

  • Provides feedback to programme directors on the progress of trainees based on information submitted in the visitors' reports following mid-term review visits.
  • Liaises with programme directors to ensure the syllabi, requirements for training and the various application and report forms are updated appropriately.
  • Keeps statistics on current and past trainees, including manpower and funding information, and the number of centres and programmes approved.

  The Committee reports to the Education Board, meeting four times a year and is serviced by the College's Postgraduate Training Department.

The Ethics (or Ethical) Committee was established in 1982 to consider the ethical aspects and legal implications of matters of concern affecting the practice of obstetrics and gynaecology. It has considered a wide range of issues such as abortion, assisted reproduction, sex selection, female genital mutilation, the use of fetuses for research, gene therapy, court-authorised obstetric intervention, patient consent, personal health information and critical care decisions.

The Academic Committee was established in 1996 under the chairmanship of Professor E M Symonds, to promote and safeguard all aspects of academic obstetrics and gynaecology including research and research training, undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and academic jobs and training, particularly in relation to recruitment and retention, and to monitor academic staff and funding in obstetrics and gynaecology. It worked closely with the Association of Professors of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and the RCOG Scientific Advisory Committee.

The Clinical Effectiveness Standards Board (CESB) was established in 1999 with responsibility for strategy and policy in relation to the College's clinical effectiveness and governance programme. Its main objectives included: development of a co-ordinated and structured programme of audit and guideline activity; co-ordination of a clinical effectiveness programme among the clinical and scientific meetings of the College; co-ordination and development of the College's programme in relation to quality improvement, particularly risk management, accreditation of services and consumer issues. It included representatives from the Department of Health, the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), the National Confidential Enquiries, the British Association of Medical Managers, other Royal Medical Colleges, and consumers. It took over co-ordination existing activities including clinical guidelines, Personal Assessment in Continuing Education (PACE) Reviews, and audits. It oversaw the work of the new Clinical Effectiveness Support Unit (CESU). The CESB held its last meeting in April 2000, when a new structure of governance was introduced, including a new Standards Board. From that date, the Guidelines and Audit Committee reported to the Standards Board, which also oversaw the work of CESU.

The Publications Management Committee was established in June 1993. Its remit was to be responsible for financial and management decisions relating to publications, including study group proceedings. It was to meet four times per annum, and report to the Finance and Executive Committee. It is serviced by, and oversees the functions of the Publications Department. Presently, the main functions of the Committee are:

• to oversee the financial management of titles published under the imprint of RCOG Press.
• to oversee the work of The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist Editorial Board and the StratOG Editorial Board.
• to receive and approve proposals for new publications to be published under the imprimatur of RCOG Press.
• to oversee the operation of the RCOG Bookshop.
• to receive and approve proposals for new regalia/gifts and to monitor their sales.
• to consider new ventures.
  From 1992 the Committee oversaw the work of The Diplomate Editorial Board, until publication was suspended in 1999.

The Committee held its first meeting in July 2001. It was established 'in response to the need for standards and benchmarks required by various external agencies as well as to assist Fellows and Members discharge their general clinical governance duties.' It had three key areas of responsibility: engagement with the National Health Service and review of national policy-making; developing, implementing and monitoring clinical and service standards to ensure patient safety; developing, implementing and monitoring professional standards for good medical practice. The Committee reported to the Standards Board. In May 2007 it was renamed the Professional and Clinical Standards Committee and a College Officer charged with responsibility for each of its three key areas. Its further activities included: developing service models in line with College recommendations; ensuring implementation of College policy on performance and service reviews; establishing and overseeing the reskilling/refresher training policy.

The development of international activities was a priority within the College's three-year strategy, 2004-2007. Initial focus was on collaborative work with other agencies to assist in reducing maternal mortality in developing countries and to raise the standard of reproductive healthcare worldwide. The first stage was to establish an International Executive Board under the Chairmanship of the Senior Vice President who had responsibility for international affairs. The Board met quarterly and reported to Council. It included representatives of other organisations including the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, FIGO, and the World Health Organisation. It had the following remit:

• To co-ordinate and promote an RCOG strategy on the improvement of reproductive healthcare worldwide to reduce maternal mortality.
• To establish and monitor progress of the RCOG Foundation.
• To consider income generation initiatives to ensure that there were sufficient funds available to sustain this area of work.
• To work in partnership with other UK and International Agencies to strengthen links, to facilitate a multi-disciplinary approach and to encourage dialogue.
• To co-ordinate the development of clinical standards and educational tools for under-resourced countries.
• To develop a framework for improvements in reproductive health in developing countries.
• To lobby governments, including the health ministers of commonwealth countries to influence and educate on the problems and solutions to maternal mortality.
• To assist in the exchange of skilled personnel and training programmes.
• To collaborate with RCOG international representative committees and to encourage dialogue at a national level in all countries.
  An International Advisory Group was also established in 2006 to support and advise the Board.

In 1947 a Standard Maternity Hospital Report Committee was set up by the College to encourage maternity hospitals and departments to publish annual medical reports in order to maintain a high standard of practice. In 1948 it published a standard form for them to adopt in order that comparisons might be made over time. This was widely adopted in the UK and Commonwealth and revised in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1973 the Committee changed its name to the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Statistics Committee, and in 1977 to the Statistics and Epidemiology Committee. In 1978 the Committee became a sub-committee of the Scientific Advisory and Pathology Committee. It reverted to a full committee in 1983. During these years the Committee took an active role in the advent of computerisation in relation to the collection and analysis of maternity data and also in disease definition, classification and coding systems. After the collection and analysis of data from Fellows and Members of the College about laparoscopy in 1978, other statistical studies on particular topics followed. In 1990 the Committee was renamed the Audit Committee as it was envisaged that audit was likely to be an increasingly large component of its work. An Audit Unit, funded by the Department of Health and based at St Mary's Hospital in Manchester, was established in 1991 under the supervision of the Audit Committee. In 1999, despite the fact that some members felt that their original remit with regard to statistics and epidemiology would be sacrificed, both the Committee and Unit were wound up and their responsibilities transferred to the Guidelines and Audit Sub-committee and Clinical Effectiveness Support Unit.

Committees and Councils of the RCOG were set up internationally in various countries. The earliest were Reference Committees, which were set up and appointed to advise Council on local matters, such as the recognition of training posts and the training programmes of individual trainees, and to encourage local scientific meetings and social gatherings of Fellows and Members. The first reference committee was set up in Canada in 1932, closely followed by one in India and subsequently in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Gradually Regional Councils replaced Reference Committees in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. Australia and New Zealand replaced their Councils with their own Royal Colleges of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in 1980 and 1982 respectively. Representative Committees were set up as the corporate body of College membership in a particular country or region and nominated and elected by the Fellows of that country or region. Functions were to bring together the collective advice of Fellows and Members and to undertake tasks on the College's behalf which were also in the interests of the country. In the 1980's the remaining Regional Councils were replaced by Representative Committees. The Dominions Committee was founded as a sub-committee of the RCOG in 1945 and became a full committee in 1952. It comprised representatives from the dominions (Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and India) and met in London. The meetings were consequently infrequent and the Committee was disbanded in 1958. The Overseas Policy Committee based in England, met from 1960 to 1962 when it became known as the Overseas Committee. Its terms of reference were: to consider development and change in countries overseas, particularly within the Commonwealth, in so far as they affect the aims and objectives of the College; to consider with the regional councils and reference committees means of fostering a close relationship between Fellows and Members abroad; to help with the placing of recommended postgraduates in recognised training posts in England and abroad; to be concerned with arrangements for the reception, both professional and social, of visitors from overseas. By 1967 the Overseas Committee had been superseded by the appointment of an Adviser to Overseas Candidates and after 1967 there is no record of the Committee meeting again.

The Representative Committee was formed in 1943 at the invitation of the Minister for Health who asked the British Medical Association (BMA), in collaboration with the royal colleges, to form a committee representative of all branches of the medical profession to discuss with him the problems involved in establishing a comprehensive national health service. The following bodies were represented on the committee: Medical Planning Committee; BMA; Royal College of Surgeons of England; Royal College of Physicians; Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists; Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh; Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh; Royal Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow; Society of Apothecaries; Society of Medical Officers of Health; Medical Women's Federation; Provincial Teaching Hospitals' Staffs' Association. The purpose of the committee was to explore the medical problems raised by the Beveridge Report and to promote the views of the majority of the medical professions. In 1944 the Representative Committee was restyled as the National Health Service Negotiating Committee; it was disbanded in December 1948 following the establishment of a Joint Committee of the Royal Colleges, the Royal Scottish Corporations and the Consultants and Specialists Committee (established by the BMA), which continued to represent consultants and specialists in negotiation with the Government in matters arising from the National Health Service Acts.

Advisory appointments committees were set up by regional hospital boards in 1955 to select consultants for appointment in hospitals around the country. Committee members were external assessors who came from a different area to where the appointment was being made. Method of selection of assessors was as follows: requests would be made to the relevant medical college for nominations for membership of committees, and those persons nominated approached directly by the President of the College.

In April 1995 an Expert Advisory Group (EAG) chaired by the Chief Medical Officer published "A Policy Framework for Commissioning Cancer Services". The guiding principle of this report was that all patients wherever they live should recieve high quality cancer care to maximise both cure rates and quality of life. Its purpose was to act as a strategic framework to assist in the planning of cancer services in the UK. It recommended that professional bodies develop guidance on the level of expertise and support required to manage different cancers. In response, the British Gynaecological Cancer Society (BGCS) and the RCOG established a Joint Working Group to provide guidance on the recommendations of the report in relation to gynaecological cancer. A draft report was circulated to Fellows and Members as a Consultation Document, and responses considered before publication of the final report in January 1997.

The Joint Committee of the Royal Medical Colleges, the Royal Scottish Corporations, and the Central Consultants and Specialists Committee of the British Medical Association was established in 1948 in order to provide a body which could speak for consultants, particularly in the impending negotiations with the government on matters arising out of the National Health Service Acts and the report of the Spens Committee on the Remuneration of Consultants and Specialists. In 1952 the Committee was renamed the Joint Consultants Committee and continued to provide a common voice on issues relating to hospital consultants.

The terms of reference of this Working Party, established in November 2005 as a joint Working Party between the College and the Association of Professors of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (APOG), were as follows:

1. To consider ways of improving recruitment to obstetrics and gynaecology at undergraduate level
   2. To make specific recommendations to individual university departments of obstetrics and gynaecology and agree reasonable targets
   3. To arrange an annual meeting of academic departments in the UK to exchange ideas, identify areas of good practice and develop an agenda for the recruitment of medical students to the specialty
   4. To consider how RCOG prizes and awards can be developed to enhance recruitment
   5. To recommend a system for recognising excellence among clinical teachers of obstetrics and gynaecology in the UK and Irish Medical Schools

In February 2006 APOG, which had been in existence for over 25 years as an association of senior academics was disbanded and replaced by a new grouping, the Academic Association of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (AAOG), open to clinical and relevant non-clinical academics of all grades, as well as to NHS consultants who had a strong interest in academic work. The Working Party continued its work and a final joint RCOG / AAOG report was published in December 2006.

In 2001 the College and the Faculty issued a joint statement outlining the need to further develop community gynaecology. A joint working group was formed which reported in 2001. The main recommendations were that the name of the subspecialty should be changed from Consultant in Community Gynaecology to Consultant in Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH); that a Joint Committee of the Faculty and the College should be set up as a separate committee and not as a subcommittee of the Subspecialty Committee. The Committee was to:

• report directly to the Standards Board of the RCOG and the Higher Training Committee of the Faculty
  • be responsible for Additional Training and Special Skills modules relating to SRH
  • be responsible for improvements and changes in the modular log book for SRH.

The National Health Service Act 1946 established a Central Health Services Council to advise the Minister of Health and this included, ex-officio, the presidents of the medical Royal Colleges. It also empowered him to constitute standing advisory committees to provide guidance on particular services. Initially, nine such committees were appointed, a Maternity and Midwifery Advisory Committee being one. In 1967 this considered the future of the domiciliary midwifery service and bed needs for maternity patients in the context of an increasing hospital confinement rate, a shorter length of hospital stay and a falling birth rate. It established a subcommittee to examine the issue. This held its first meeting in September 1967. Sir John Peel was elected Chairman. It met thirteen times and took evidence from a range of organisations and individuals. Its 1970 report, known as the Peel Report, was subsequently controversial for its recommendation that 'sufficient facilities shuld be provoided to allow for 100% hospital delivery' and that 'the greater safety of hospital confinement for mother and child justifies this objective.'

In 1964, obstetrician Professor Will Nixon set up the 'Childbirth Research Centre', after witnessing the grief of a young man whose wife had died during childbirth. Professor Nixon was director of the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at University College Hospital, London for over twenty years. Leading members of the medical profession including Lord Brain, Sir John Peel, Professor Dugald Baird and Sir George Pinker founded CRC as a registered charity in October 1964. They were very disturbed by the lack of scientific and medical research into the causes and prevention of abnormalities in pregnancy, childbirth and infancy. In 1972, the name was changed to 'Birthright' 'The National Fund for Childbirth Research' in order to reflect the national activities of the charity both in terms of fundraising and research. In April 1975 Birthright agreed to work with The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) to improve women's health. Birthright worked in partnership with the RCOG as a fundraising and research organisation to promote research in obstetrics and gynaecology and related subjects, particularly research into the prevention of birth defects.

A congress to discuss obstetrics and gynaecology was held in London in 1920; unfortunately no record has survived of its terms of reference or proceedings. The first official British Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (BCOG) was held at Birmingham in 1921 (see note on p. 4 of Central Congress Committee minute book, ref: E6M/1), but records of proceedings do not begin until 1923. The congresses were organised by Congress secretaries of local obstetrical societies; an Executive was appointed at the 1923 Edinburgh Congress, with the power to appoint a Treasurer (see correspondence of William Blair Bell, 1923, concerning British congresses in S10/59). From 1923 to 1965 British congresses were organised by local committees under the aegis of a Central Congress Committee, which was composed of representatives of different British and Irish obstetrical and gynaecological societies. The central committee was disbanded in 1965, and replaced by a new Congress Committee of the RCOG. The different societies continued to send representatives to serve on the new committee. In 1968 the Congress Committee was renamed the Scientific Programme and Central Congress Committee, and became responsible for the College's expanded programme of scientific meetings. In 1973 responsibility for scientific meetings passed to the Postgraduate Committee and Scientific Programme was dropped from its title. In 1976 the Central Congress Committee discussed the frequency of its meetings and recommended greater local influence; it restricted future meetings to the year of each Congress. By the 1980s the local obstetrical and gynaecological societies were responsible for running the annual Congress. The RCOG held a central Congress fund to enable organisers to plan ahead and any profits of the Congress were returned to the central fund. The President of the RCOG was also President of the Congress but otherwise the College had little input into the organisation of the Congress. In 1984 a new College Congress Committee was established to: allow the College to have a greater input to the scientific and social content; decide future venues; appoint the organising committee and advise on financial arrangements; liaise with College arrangements for other scientific meetings during the year of the Congress; arrange courses near the Congress for overseas delegates. However, it's existence was short-lived, on 22 July 1989 the RCOG Council disbanded the Congress Committee, and agreed that its responsibilities should pass to the Finance and Executive Committee (with one exception: the Postgraduate Committee became responsible for arranging educational courses at the time of the Congress).

In January 2002 a new Congress Committee was re-established, reporting to the Education Board. Its remit was:

• To be responsible for the scientific and social programme of the annual Congress
  • To consider the inclusion of College eponymous lectures and of specilist societies in programme selection
• To decide on future venues for Congresses
• To monitor the performance of the Professional Congress Organiser
• To monitor the budget, income and expenditure for the Congress

A Scientific Programme Sub-Group was established at the first meeting to report to Congress Committee with its recommendations. 2007 marked the 30th British Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, which was held in London. It is notable that in the new millennium, a major feature of the 'British' congress is collaboration with specialist societies and International Colleges which include America, Australia, Canada, South Africa and India, and others. Internally, organisation of congresses was always overseen by the Deputy College Secretary, later known as the Head of Corporate Affairs. From 1974-2002, Ms Caroline Roney served as Congress Organising Secretary/Congress Organiser.

The working party was set up by the Council of the RCOG in 1989, under the chairmanship of Professor E M Symonds FRCOG, with the following terms of reference: "to review the current activities of the RCOG, to consider future strategy and to report through the Finance and Executive Committee to Council. All aspects of the work of the College and details of its present structure and function should be considered." (terms of reference of the working party, ref M50/1). The working party made its final report in 1991. The College Secretary's Office provided the secretariat for the working party.

Over the years the Publications department of the College has produced a range of booklets, prospectuses and audio-visual material to promote the specialty of obsterics and gynaecology.