Margaret Brotherston (nee Smith)

Born in 1877 in Dumfries and Galloway, Margaret was among the first female medics to qualify at Edinburgh.

After studying at the Edinburgh College of Medicine for Women, she dedicated her career to advancing healthcare and civic freedoms for women.

Margaret’s career took her across the UK, most notably to Manchester, where she was appointed executive officer of the city’s Public Health Department. She was the first female doctor employed there.

Committed to helping women and children outside of her work as a physician, Margaret was a member of the suffragette movement and helped found the British Federation of University Women.

Returning to Edinburgh later in her career, Margaret joined the Edinburgh Voluntary Health Visitors Association, later becoming the president. She pioneered a supervised playground scheme for toddlers, providing them with fresh air and exercise while their mothers rested.

Margaret died in 1971.