Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1957-2000 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1 volume, 86 files
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The Fothergill Club was named after the eminent gynaecologist, William Edward Fothergill (1865-1926). WE Fothergill himself had been a teacher and Professor of Obstetrics at St Mary's Hospital, Manchester, after completing his medical degree at Edinburgh in 1893. He modified Archibald Donald's operation for uterine prolapse, which became known as the Fothergill operation.
Fothergill firmly believed that gynaecologists should have some obstetrical training and tried to bring greater logic into the classifications used in gynaecology. He was against the anatomical classification of diseases used in books and lectures, as the same disease process could occur anywhere in the body, and the fact that symptoms were often made into diseases. He recommended an alternative pathological classification instead and promoted his own classification in his book Manual of Diseases of Women, in 1920. In the introduction to this book, he wrote his opinion that 'no one who has not in one way or another become a good obstetrician can ever hope to understand the diseases of women'.
The Fothergill Club, inspired to some extent by this reputation, was founded by Theodore Redman (1916-2004), former Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at St James's Hospital, Leeds, with two of his colleagues. The idea for such a society arose at a meeting of the North of England Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society in 1957, when a group of members who had also been together at St Mary's, Manchester, like WE Fothergill, felt that there was a place for a new gynaecological club which would exist mainly to visit other centres of excellence in Britain and overseas, and to combine study of the specialty with what the club termed the 'Art of Living'. It was also recognised by Theodore Redman that other similar societies were very full at that time.
The inaugural meetings were held on the 8th and 9th May 1958 in Plymouth, after initial discussions on the 26th July 1957, in Manchester. The Club's founding members, apart from Theodore Redman, were Sir John (Jack) Dewhurst, later President of the RCOG from 1975-1978 ,Tiger Bevis, Howard Rowley, Frank Da Cunha, Tom Fitzgerald, Tubby Lawton, Gordon Napier and Alan Robson. At the club meetings in May and November 1958, it was decided that membership should be restricted to twenty people at any one time, (although this was later increased and allowed for the inclusion of inactive and honorary members) and that nominations should only be put forward at the next meeting after the one at which first contact with a potential member had been made. It was also agreed that prospective members' Cvs should be circulated to all current members, so that any reservations about a nomination could be expressed.
The Fothergill club had a varied annual programme of academic and cultural activities, combining business and scientific meetings with visits to places of interest, which allowed members' spouses and partners to travel with the club on most occasions and participate in these cultural aspects. From 1958 onwards, the Club became a successful travelling group that visited specialists in many European cities and in the United States. Visits were made in the UK and abroad in alternate years amd meetings were usually held twice a year in May/June and October/November. Theodore Redman produced a history of the Club for circulation to all members, in 2000.
Archival history
These records were passed down through the various Govenors and Secretaries of the Club.
GB 1538 S63 1957-2000 Collection (fonds) 1 volume, 86 files Fothergill Club
The Fothergill Club was named after the eminent gynaecologist, William Edward Fothergill (1865-1926). WE Fothergill himself had been a teacher and Professor of Obstetrics at St Mary's Hospital, Manchester, after completing his medical degree at Edinburgh in 1893. He modified Archibald Donald's operation for uterine prolapse, which became known as the Fothergill operation.
Fothergill firmly believed that gynaecologists should have some obstetrical training and tried to bring greater logic into the classifications used in gynaecology. He was against the anatomical classification of diseases used in books and lectures, as the same disease process could occur anywhere in the body, and the fact that symptoms were often made into diseases. He recommended an alternative pathological classification instead and promoted his own classification in his book Manual of Diseases of Women, in 1920. In the introduction to this book, he wrote his opinion that 'no one who has not in one way or another become a good obstetrician can ever hope to understand the diseases of women'.
The Fothergill Club, inspired to some extent by this reputation, was founded by Theodore Redman (1916-2004), former Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at St James's Hospital, Leeds, with two of his colleagues. The idea for such a society arose at a meeting of the North of England Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society in 1957, when a group of members who had also been together at St Mary's, Manchester, like WE Fothergill, felt that there was a place for a new gynaecological club which would exist mainly to visit other centres of excellence in Britain and overseas, and to combine study of the specialty with what the club termed the 'Art of Living'. It was also recognised by Theodore Redman that other similar societies were very full at that time.
The inaugural meetings were held on the 8th and 9th May 1958 in Plymouth, after initial discussions on the 26th July 1957, in Manchester. The Club's founding members, apart from Theodore Redman, were Sir John (Jack) Dewhurst, later President of the RCOG from 1975-1978 ,Tiger Bevis, Howard Rowley, Frank Da Cunha, Tom Fitzgerald, Tubby Lawton, Gordon Napier and Alan Robson. At the club meetings in May and November 1958, it was decided that membership should be restricted to twenty people at any one time, (although this was later increased and allowed for the inclusion of inactive and honorary members) and that nominations should only be put forward at the next meeting after the one at which first contact with a potential member had been made. It was also agreed that prospective members' Cvs should be circulated to all current members, so that any reservations about a nomination could be expressed.
The Fothergill club had a varied annual programme of academic and cultural activities, combining business and scientific meetings with visits to places of interest, which allowed members' spouses and partners to travel with the club on most occasions and participate in these cultural aspects. From 1958 onwards, the Club became a successful travelling group that visited specialists in many European cities and in the United States. Visits were made in the UK and abroad in alternate years amd meetings were usually held twice a year in May/June and October/November. Theodore Redman produced a history of the Club for circulation to all members, in 2000.
These records were passed down through the various Govenors and Secretaries of the Club.
Donated by the Secretary of the Fothergill Club in May 2006 and in October 2007.
Papers of the Fothergill Club, 1957-2000, including minutes of meetings and other administrative correspondence relating to attendance of and arrangements for meetings, administrative papers relating to the organisation of overseas visits, and papers relating to recruitment and membership matters.
Arranged in sections as follows: Administration of scientific visits and tours; Minutes and general administration (combined); Meetings; Minute Books.
English
Detailed catalogue available in the RCOG Archives.
Compiled by Sarah Drewery.
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.
Jul 2008 Associations Clubs Fothergill Club Gynaecology Leisure Leisure time activities Medical sciences Obstetrics Organizations Professional associations
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Donated by the Secretary of the Fothergill Club in May 2006 and in October 2007.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Papers of the Fothergill Club, 1957-2000, including minutes of meetings and other administrative correspondence relating to attendance of and arrangements for meetings, administrative papers relating to the organisation of overseas visits, and papers relating to recruitment and membership matters.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Arranged in sections as follows: Administration of scientific visits and tours; Minutes and general administration (combined); Meetings; Minute Books.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Detailed catalogue available in the RCOG Archives.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
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