| Description | Dr Olive Claydon was born in 1876 in Oldham. She studied at the Girls' High School, Manchester before moving to London and studying at the London (Royal Free Hospital) School of Medicine for Women. She graduated with honours in obstetric medicine in 1901, B.S. in 1902 and M.D. in 1905. She then held appointments as resident medical officer at the maternity department of the New Hospital for Women, as house-surgeon to the Chorlton-upon-Medlock Dispensary and as resident medical officer of the Edinburgh Hospital for Women before returning to Oldham and working in a practice within the town. She also undertook much public and charity work particularly in relation to women and children. She was also particularly active with regard to tackling the social stigma associated with venereal disease. She was a keen advocate for women's suffrage, believing that with the vote women could improve society. A Mr Beaumont, an anti suffragist, challenged a statement made by Mrs Lees that she had never yet heard of an argument against women's suffrage, Olive Claydon ably defended the votes for women agenda at a public debate with the gentleman in Oldham in Jan 1911 [See M90/6/7/11/1 for newspaper cutting]. She died at the relatively young age of 40 at her fathers house in Oldham. The women of the Oldham Women's Suffrage Society decided that they wanted to establish a memorial to Dr Claydon and put together a committee to carry this through. The final memorial was two fold, initially they established the Dr Olive Claydon Memorial Fund at the London School of Medicine for Women which provided a £5 prize to one student a year studying venereal disease. The second part of the memorial was the erection of a plaque at the Institute for Women and Girls, Lees Road in her memory. |