Isabella Bartholomew Mears
Isabella Bartholomew Mears was a British physician who worked as a medical missionary and translator of Chinese philosophy. Born in West Lothian, Scotland, she trained at the London [School of Medicine for Women], becoming the twenty-fifth woman listed on the British Medical Register. She served with the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in Foochow, China from 1890 to 1893. The couple founded Woodburn Sanatorium in 1895, one of the earliest Scottish sanatoria dedicated to tuberculosis care. She also published translations and interpretations of Chinese philosophical texts, including Tao Teh King and Creative Energy.
Early life and education
Mears was born in West Lothian, Scotland to James Bartholomew, a farmer, and Jane Ford. She trained as a teacher, before Scottish medical missionary Colin S. Valentine encouraged her to pursue medical training as preparation for Christian work. She entered the London School of Medicine for Women in 1875, six months after its founding by Sophia Jex-Blake. Mears obtained experience at Elizabeth Garrett Anderson’s New Hospital for Women, in dispensary work at Seven Dials, and later at the Royal Free Hospital after it opened its wards to female students.Mears completed midwifery training in Dublin and earned the LM credential in London. In 1881 she obtained the L.K.Q.C.P.I. qualification in Ireland, one of the few professional pathways available to women, and became the twenty-fifth woman listed in the British Medical Register.
Among her instructors was William Pope Mears, an anatomy lecturer at the London Hospital. The couple married on 17 April 1879 and later moved to Tynemouth. They had four children including Frank Charles.
Missionary work
In 1890, Isabella and William Mears joined CMS and relocated to the South China Mission in Fuh-kien, centered in Fuh-chow. By 1894, CMS employed 27 medical missionaries worldwide; Mears was the only female on this list.Both Isabella and William Mears published letters in CMS periodicals during and after their missionary tenure describing their medical work, evangelism and encounters with local Chinese religious practices. Mears worked closely with Powers on medical treatment and Christian education of the local patient population. They assisted with women’s wards, outpatient wards, dispensary work, and the training of local students who were affiliated with the Fuh-Chow medical mission.
The family’s work in China ended in 1893 due to William Mears’s deteriorating health. After their return to England, he remained active in CMS affairs.