Matilda la Leche, First recorded English Physician

notes

He [Gilbert Pecche] married, 1stly, Maud DE HASTINGES (a). She died 1264 or 1265 (b). [Complete Peerage X:335-6, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]

(a) She was probably an older daughter of Henry de Hastinges (grandfather of the first Lord Hastinges of Abergavenny), who, at his death, 1250, left 3 unmarried daughters. In 1254 it was Gilbert Pecche who undertook, to the King's Council, that Ada de Hastinges, sister of Henry de Hastinges, should not marry before the King's return from abroad.

(b) At the time of the troubles in the realm, so that she had to be buried at St. Mary's Overy (now Southwark Cathedral), and only her heart was taken to Barnwell. By this marriage Gilbert had sons John and Edmund, whom he disinherited in favour of his eldest son by his 2nd marriage.

Links

• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jweber&id...

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https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ENGLISHNOBILITYMEDIEVAL3D-K.htm#_T...

HENRY de Hastings, of Ashil, Norfolk, son of WILLIAM [III] de Hastings & his wife Margery Bigod of Norfolk (-before 9 Aug 1250). King Henry III granted "custodia terre et heredis Willelmi de Hasting" to “...Isabelle que fuit uxor Osberti Giffard et Matildi sorori ipsius Osberti”, dated 1229[819]. King Henry III granted rights relating to "priori et sacriste Sancti Edmundi" to “Henrico de Hasting senescallo domus sue” as previously held by “Willelmus pater suus”, dated 1229[820].

m (before 7 Jun 1237) ADA of Huntingdon, daughter of DAVID of Scotland Earl of Huntingdon & his wife Matilda [Matilda] of Chester (-after 1241). The Annales Londonienses name "Margaretam, Isabellam, Matildam, et Aldam" as the four daughters of "comiti David", recording the marriage of "la tierce fille Davi" and "sire Henri de Hastinges"[821].

Henry & his wife had [four] children:

4. [MATILDA de Hastings (-London [1264/65], bur Sainte-Marie ---). The Liber Memorandorum Ecclesie de Bernewelle names "Matildis de Hastinges" as the first wife of "dominus Gilbertus Pecche", adding that she died in London and was buried "in ecclesia canonicorum beate Marie ultra aquam" as burial in England was not possible because of "perturbacionem que tunc erat" (suggesting her death in [1264/65][1689]. The source does not name her parents. The Complete Peerage suggests that she was one of the three (unnamed) unmarried daughters of Henry de Hastings who are mentioned as living on Henry’s death in 1250[1690]. m as his first wife, GILBERT Pecche, son of HAMO Pecche & his wife Eva --- (-25 May 1291).]

Matilda la Leche fl. 1232

Matilda la Leche (the description la leche indicating she was a medical practitioner), of Wallingford was assessed for taxes in 1232. This makes her one of the earliest female doctors to be recorded in the UK.

Extract:

Women medical practitioners in England (act.c. 1200–c. 1475), were a widespread, amorphous, and often maligned group, and one that is very difficult to define. Surgical texts written by men abound with disparaging references to 'the ladies': amateur healers who were accused of making their patients worse. Much of this is part of medieval anti-female satire, though it does imply a female threat to male hegemony. Since most medicine was practised part-time in the middle ages, medical practitioners may be mentioned in a wide variety of sources. The exclusion of women from the clerical and other professions, from municipal and legal offices, and from a prominent place in the life of guilds and confraternities—that is, from virtually every situation tending to throw up the right kinds of records—makes it especially difficult for the historian to identify women medical practitioners. Medical texts survive directed exclusively to women's problems, but they were usually excerpts from longer general practices written by men. Nevertheless, scattered sources suggest that many women healers were powerful, independent, and sought after for their skills: it was their very success that was sometimes seen as a threat to the practice of medicine by men.

[1] Faye Getz, ‘Women medical practitioners in England (act. c.1200–c.1475)’, first published