Partner Sophia Jex-Blake
Queer Places:
Bruntsfield Hospital, 98 Whitehouse Loan, Edinburgh EH9 1BD, UK
Woodbury Park Cemetery, Woodbury Park Rd, Tunbridge Wells TN4 9NH, United Kingdom
Ursula Du Pre (March 17, 1839 - August 2, 1916) was a significant figure in the life and professional circles of the pioneering physician Sophia Jex-Blake, particularly in the latter's efforts to advance medical education for women in Scotland.
Ursula Du Pre was the eldest daughter of the Reverend William Maxwell Du Pre (c. 1806–1855), the second son of James Du Pre, an esquire and Member of Parliament (MP) of Wilton Park, and his wife Emily Baring, the daughter of Sir Thomas Baring, Baronet—a member of the prominent Baring banking family.
Sir Thomas Baring, 2nd Baronet (1772–1848), was the eldest son of Sir Francis Baring, 1st Baronet. His younger brother was Alexander Baring, 1st Baron Ashburton, father of Bingham Baring, 2nd Baron Ashburton (1799–1864). Bingham Baring, 2nd Baron Ashburton, married Louisa Baring, Lady Ashburton.
Ursula Du Pre and Sophia Jex-Blake were close associates who remained connected throughout their lives. Historical records, such as those held by The National Archives, indicate they were very close during Jex-Blake's time as a medical student. By 1871, they were recorded as living together, and they are widely believed to have been romantic partners.
Du Pre played an active role in supporting Jex-Blake's campaigns and institutional foundations:
When Jex-Blake set out to establish new medical education infrastructure in Edinburgh, Du Pre served on the executive committee formed to secure suitable premises for a medical school for women.
By 1900 and 1901, Du Pre was a vice president of the committee for the Edinburgh Hospital and Dispensary for Women and Children. This institution was notable for being the only one in the city at the time that provided medical and surgical care to women by women doctors.
After years spent breaking barriers in the Scottish medical establishment, Jex-Blake retired to England. Upon du Pre and Jex-Blake's departure from Edinburgh, their former home at Bruntsfield Lodge was left in trust. It was successfully converted into the Bruntsfield Hospital for Women, a revered medical institution that served the city for nearly a century.
Jex-Blake met Margaret Todd in 1886 at the Edinburgh School of Medicine for Women, where Todd was a student. When Jex-Blake retired from medical practice in 1899, she moved to a farm in Sussex called "Windydene" with Margaret Todd. At this point, Todd became her primary daily companion and, eventually, her executor and biographer. Both are buried together in St Denys' Churchyard, Rotherfield, Sussex.
Following the death of Jex-Blake, Du Pre—along with Dr. Todd—became an administrator of the funds related to Jex-Blake’s estate and legacy, helping to oversee the realization of Jex-Blake's final professional wishes.
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