Collection GB 1556 WL 536a - Fairfield, Letitia (1885-1978): papers regarding compulsory sterilisation and the Third Reich (microfilm)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 1556 WL 536a

Title

Fairfield, Letitia (1885-1978): papers regarding compulsory sterilisation and the Third Reich (microfilm)

Date(s)

  • 1930s (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

183 frames

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Dr. Letitia Fairfield (1885-1978), born of Irish extraction received her medical education at Edinburgh and spent her working life in London, becoming the first woman senior medical officer to the London County Council. She joined the LCC service in 1911 and in 1920 was sent on a mission to the West Indies - and in 1938 to Malta - to advise on how to deal with venereal diseases in women. In 1943 she was appointed to the Colonial Office committee on this subject. In 1942 she was appointed a member of the Ministry of Health's Advisory Committee on the welfare of mothers and young children. Earlier activities included the preparation of a report on women's lodging houses in 1927. Later that year she went to America, under the auspices of the Commonwealth Fund of New York, to study child guidance.

In her early years she was an active supporter of the Women's Suffrage Movement and a member of the Fabian Society. In 1930-1932 she was president of the London Association of the Medical Women's Federation. She was called to the Bar by the Middle Temple and for many years regularly attended the meetings of the Medico-Legal Society of London, of which she was a vice-president. She was also co-editor of the Medico-Legal and Criminological Review.

She was an ardent and influential member of the Catholic Church. This is borne out by her documented presence in this collection on a number of committees of Catholic welfare and special interest groups.

Repository

Archival history

GB 1556 WL 536a 1930s collection 183 frames Fairfield , Letitia , 1885-1978 , doctor

Dr. Letitia Fairfield (1885-1978), born of Irish extraction received her medical education at Edinburgh and spent her working life in London, becoming the first woman senior medical officer to the London County Council. She joined the LCC service in 1911 and in 1920 was sent on a mission to the West Indies - and in 1938 to Malta - to advise on how to deal with venereal diseases in women. In 1943 she was appointed to the Colonial Office committee on this subject. In 1942 she was appointed a member of the Ministry of Health's Advisory Committee on the welfare of mothers and young children. Earlier activities included the preparation of a report on women's lodging houses in 1927. Later that year she went to America, under the auspices of the Commonwealth Fund of New York, to study child guidance.

In her early years she was an active supporter of the Women's Suffrage Movement and a member of the Fabian Society. In 1930-1932 she was president of the London Association of the Medical Women's Federation. She was called to the Bar by the Middle Temple and for many years regularly attended the meetings of the Medico-Legal Society of London, of which she was a vice-president. She was also co-editor of the Medico-Legal and Criminological Review.

She was an ardent and influential member of the Catholic Church. This is borne out by her documented presence in this collection on a number of committees of Catholic welfare and special interest groups.

Fairfield family

Personal papers of Letitia Fairfield, c 1930-1939, with correspondence dealing in the main with the subject of compulsory sterilisation, in particular in relation to the Nazi eugenics policy; and to the views of the Catholic Church on the subject, including correspondence with the Eugenics Society.

None

Open

Copies can be made for personal use. Permission must be sought for publication.
English, German

Microfilm

Description exists to this archive on the Wiener Library's online catalogue www.wienerlibrary.co.uk

Wiener Collection, Tel Aviv University, Israel.

Fairfield, Letitia, 'Catholics and the German Law of Sterilisation' from Catholic Medical Guardian (Burns, Oates and Washbourne, London 1938)

Entry compiled by Howard Falksohn. Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. October 2007 Catholic Church Eichberg Nursing Home, Hesse Eugenics Eugenics Education Society x Eugenics Society x Galton Institute Fairfield , Josephine Letitia Denny , 1885-1978 , doctor x Fairfield , Letitia Genetics Heredity Nazism Political doctrines Third Reich Totalitarianism

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Fairfield family

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Personal papers of Letitia Fairfield, c 1930-1939, with correspondence dealing in the main with the subject of compulsory sterilisation, in particular in relation to the Nazi eugenics policy; and to the views of the Catholic Church on the subject, including correspondence with the Eugenics Society.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

None

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open

Conditions governing reproduction

Copies can be made for personal use. Permission must be sought for publication.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English, German

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Description exists to this archive on the Wiener Library's online catalogue www.wienerlibrary.co.uk

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Wiener Library

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area