Grace Cadell (1855-1918)

Physician and suffragist

Grace Cadell studied medicine under Sophia Jex-Blake and Elsie Inglis in Edinburgh. After qualifying she practised as a physician and surgeon. She was active in the women's suffrage movement and provided care to those released from prison after force-feeding. A Home and Health Department file on the suffragettes, Ethel Moorhead and Dorothea Lynas (NRS, HH16/40), includes documents from March 1914 relating to Grace Cadell. Her letter requesting that Ethel Moorhead's licence be extended due to her condition, was annotated by the Governor of Edinburgh Prison: 'Dr Cadell is an advanced suffragette'. The Chief Constable of Leith reported that police officers had been detailed to keep her house under surveillance. James Dunlop for the Prison Commissioners minuted that he had visited Dr Cadell's house to ascertain the condition of Miss Moorhead but was told she was not present. Grace Cadell died in the month that legislation giving women the vote was passed.

Birth in 1855

Grace Ross Cadell was born at 11:20 pm on 25 October 1855, the daughter of George Phillip Cadell, Superintendant of Coalwork, and Martha Duncanson Fleming. This was the first year of statutory civil registration in Scotland. Much more information was recorded and entries span two pages. This entry in the statutory register of births for the parish of Carriden in the county of Linlithgow (West Lothian) gives her father's age (35 years) and birthplace (Grangehouse), her parents year and place of marriage (1854, Carriden) and her mother's age (30 years) and birthplace (Carriden Manse). It also confirms that Grace was her mother's first child.

Birth entry for Grace Cadell (32 and 40 KB jpegs)
National Records of Scotland, 1855/664/55

1861-1911 Censuses

In 1861 Grace R Cadell, 6, was enumerated with her family at 9 Elder Street in Edinburgh. The census return for the parish of St Andrew shows that she now had a sister, Martha, aged 2. Her father is described as a railway stockholder, JP, formerly Ironmaster.

1861 Census record for Grace Cadell (59 KB jpeg)
National Records of Scotland, 1861/685-2/89, page 9

In 1871 Grace R Cadell, 15, was enumerated with her family at 23 Greenhill Gardens in Edinburgh. The census return for the district of Newington gives her mother as head of the household. She has another sister, Harriette, who was born in the Passy district of Paris.

1871 Census record for Grace Cadell (39 KB jpeg)
National Records of Scotland, 1871/685-5/113, page 7

In 1891 Grace R Cadell, 25, medical student was enumerated at 119 Marchmont Road in Edinburgh. The census return for the district of Newington shows that she was in a household with her mother. They are both described as lodgers.

1891 Census record for Grace Cadell (27 KB jpeg)
National Records of Scotland, 1891/685-5/103, page 29

In 1901 Grace R Cadell, 45, Registered General Practitioner, was enumerated at 145 Leith Walk. The census return for the district of Leith South shows that she was the head of the household and working on her own account (a/c). She had two servants - a cook and a house table maid, both domestic (dom).

1901 Census record for Grace Cadell (32 KB jpeg)
National Records of Scotland, 1901/692-2/15, page 20

She wasn't enumerated in Scotland in 1881 or 1911.

1895 to 1915 valuation rolls

In 1895 Miss Grace Ross Cadell LRCPS (Licentiate, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons) is recorded as tenant of the House and Consulting Rooms, at 58 Queen Street, Edinburgh.

Detail from 1895 valuation roll for Grace Cadell (17 KB jpeg)
National Records of Scotland, VR1895/100/171, page 355

In 1905 Dr Grace Ross Cadell was tenant of the house at 145 Leith Walk as well as proprietor and occupier of the house at 23 Greenhill Gardens in Edinburgh.

In 1915 Grace Ross Cadell, physician and surgeon, was tenant of the house, stable and coachhouse at 11a Belford Mews, proprietor and occupier of 15 Lynedoch Place and proprietor of the house at 23 Greenhill Gardens, all in Edinburgh. She was also proprietor and occupier of the house, offices, stable and land at Mosspark plus the house and garden at Wester Moss. These were all within the parish of Muckhart in Perthshire.

Detail from 1915 valuation roll for Grace Cadell (18 KB jpeg)
National Records of Scotland, VR1915/113/61, page 327

Death in 1918

Grace Ross Cadell, physician and surgeon, died at 5:45 pm on 19 February 1918 aged 69 years. The entry in the statutory register of deaths in the parish of Muckhart in the county of Perth gives the place of death as Mosspark, Rumbling Bridge and her marital status as single. The informant was her neighbour, James Hutchinson. Hers was the first entry in the register for that district in 1918.

Death entry for Grace Cadell (62 KB jpeg)
National Records of Scotland, 1918/385/1

Testament of 1918 and 1922

The testment of Grace Ross Cadell LRCP&S (Licentiate, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons) of 15 Lynedoch Place was registered at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on 25 February 1918. Her will begins with her four foster children: Margaret Frances Clare Sydney, George Bell, Grace Emmeline Cadell and Maurice Philip Shaw. She makes provisions for their education, clothing and guardianship. She also provides for her extended family, including cousins in Canada, and her servants.

Detail from page 7 of the will of Grace Cadell (67 KB jpeg)
National Records of Scotland, SC70/4/510, pages 7-22

The inventory (SC70/1/612 pages 410-423) was registered in 1918. It was followed in 1922 by an additional inventory or eik. This provided details of moveable estate undervalued or omitted from the original inventory as well as stock which had been overvalued. The value of her estate was corrected to £46,426, 0 shillings and 4 pence which would be worth in the region of £1.35 million today (based on The National Archives' currency converter).

Detail from page 439 of the eik for Grace Cadell's estate (90 KB jpeg)
National Records of Scotland, SC70/1/676, pages 439-441

You can find further information in the research guide to wills and testaments and examples of eiks can be found on the Scottish Handwriting resource on the ScotlandsPeople website which provides online tuition and guidance for reading manuscript historical records written in Scotland from the 16th to 18th centuries.