Bell, William Blair-., 1871-1936

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Professor William Blair-Bell, co-founder and first President of the British College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, resigned from all committees of the College in April 1934, and it would appear that shortly afterwards he began to compose his history of the foundation and earliest years of the College. It appears from a file of his correspondence with colleagues and others, that he first began to seek information and papers to help him in late May 1934.

The will of Professor Blair Bell, dated 22 March 1935, contains the following clause:

"I also direct that the historical composition concerning the origin and rise of the British College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists which I shall leave shall be kept sealed and unread and shall immediately be deposited in a bank until such time as it is published not sooner than fifteen years after my death and not until after the death of the last surviving member of the Finance and Executive Committees of the aforesaid College in existence between One thousand nine hundred and twenty nine and one thousand nine hundred and thirty four and I direct that the expenses of publication shall be defrayed by means of a grant from the final accumulated residue of my estate. The format printing and binding shall in accordance with a memorandum I shall leave with the typescript copies of the book and the copies printed shall be distributed in accordance with a further memorandum I shall leave. Should the history not be completed at the time of my death a fact which will be known by Miss Nockolds it is to be completed at once Arthur Capel Herbert Bell and Eleanor Nockolds from documents and letters in my possession and from extracts made from my diaries by Arthur Capel Herbert Bell. Editing of the whole or part completed by me is to be confined to typing and printing and verbal errors."

In addition to instructions about format, binding, and printing, Blair Bell also left instructions with the typescript that one thousand were to be printed and distributed to various institutions and individuals, and to each fellow and member of the College. If the College wished to print copies it might do so, but at its own expense. In those circumstances the typescript was to pass to the College providing that College gave an undertaking not to alter the text in any way.

In a memorandum (the text of which may be seen in S33/3) it is stated that the text was completed by the trustees. It is unclear how much of the text was left unfinished by Blair-Bell

From the guide to the William Blair-Bell's 'The History of the Origin and Rise of the British College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists', 1934-c.1940, (Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn William Fletcher Shaw's 'The Birth of a College', 1950, 6 December 1950 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
referencedIn Papers of Harold Francis FRCOG, October 1994 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
referencedIn Personal and professional papers of William Blair-Bell, 1890-1956 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
creatorOf Personal Papers of William Blair-Bell: copy of will, 22 March 1935 - 13 March 1936 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
creatorOf Personal papers of William Blair-Bell: passage to New York, 1925, 7 August 1925 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
creatorOf William Blair-Bell's 'The History of the Origin and Rise of the British College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists', 1934-c.1940 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
referencedIn Papers of Professor Miles Harris Phillips, 1908 - 1961 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
referencedIn Personal papers of Sir Norman Jeffcoate, 1932-1991 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
referencedIn Central Administrative Records of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 1925 -[ongoing] Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
referencedIn Sir Norman Jeffcoate: Extracts from an Autobiography, c.1985 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
referencedIn G W Fitzgerald: RCOG Foundation Fellow Certificate, 1929, 14 November 1929 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
referencedIn Legal and Constitutional Records of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 1927-[ongoing] Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Role Title Holding Repository
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
Women's Health
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1871

Death 1936

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