Florence Price

In 1912, there were only 533 women physicians in Great Britain. One of these, Florence Price, was brought up in 144 Priory Street, Carmarthen. She studied in Edinburgh, graduating in 1904 and, in December of that year, she was appointed house physician to Swansea Hospital, the first woman to join the medical staff. 

Dr. Price practised medicine for forty years, eventually becoming an ophthalmic surgeon at Port Talbot Hospital.

In May 1908, Florence married Dr. Frank Thomas and, most unusually for the time, continued to pursue her career while raising a family. When she died in 1957 it was noted that ‘she knew how to distribute energy between her home and her profession’. Above all else, the author of her obituary noted that ‘her outstanding quality was a sincerity that fairly shone…her intense human sympathy never willingly stopped at words; she always longed to help, and when possible she did. Her patients adored her…a rare and beautiful spirit has taken flight’.

Yn 1912, dim ond 533 o feddygon benywaidd oedd ym Mhrydain Fawr o hyd. Cafodd un o’r rhain, Florence Price, ei magu yn
144 Heol y Prior, Caerfyrddin ac astudiodd hi ym Mhrifysgol Caeredin gan raddio yn 1904. Ym mis Rhagfyr y flwyddyn honno, fe’i penodwyd yn feddyg tŷ i Ysbyty Abertawe, y fenyw gyntaf i ymuno â staff meddygol y sefydliad hwnnw.

Bu Dr Price yn feddyg am ddeugain mlynedd, gan ddod yn llawfeddyg offthalmig yn Ysbyty Port Talbot maes o law.

Ym mis Mai 1908, priododd Florence â Dr. Frank Thomas ac, yn anarferol iawn yn y cyfnod hwn, parhaodd i ddilyn ei gyrfa wrth fagu teulu. Pan fu farw yn 1957 yn 78 oed, nodwyd ‘ei bod yn gwybod sut i rannu ei hegni rhwng ei chartref a’i phroffesiwn’. Yn anad dim, nododd awdur ei hysgrif goffa mai ‘ei rhinwedd amlycaf oedd diffuantrwydd a ddisgleiriai’n hardd… ni chyfyngid ei chydymdeimlad dynol dwys gan eiriau yn unig; roedd hi bob amser yn dyheu i helpu, gwnâi hynny bob tro posibl. Roedd ei chleifion yn dwlu arni… mae ysbryd prin a hardd wedi hedfan ymaith.’

Courtesy of Carmarthen Civic Society, Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society and Women’s Archive Wales.

Categories: Public Servants | Science & Medicine

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