Ada Wilkinson
Born 9 Feb 1869 - Died 1 Mar 1951
- Service number
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- Also known as
- Ada McLaren AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Civilian AWMM
- Last rank
- WW1
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
About
- Title
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- Forenames
- Ada AWMM
- Surname
- Wilkinson AWMM
- Ingoa
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- Also known as
- Ada McLaren AWMM
- Service number
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- Gender
- Female AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
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- Religion
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Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 9 Feb 1869 AWMM
- Date of birth
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- Place of birth
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- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
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- Post war occupation
- Medical practitioner AWMM
- Next of kin
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- Relationship status
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Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
- Campaign
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- Armed force / branch
- Civilian AWMM
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- Military service
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- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
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Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
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Training and Enlistment
- Military training
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- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
- WW1 Jul 1916 AWMM Surgeon/Civilian AWMM
- Age on enlistment
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- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- Scottish Women's Hospital, Serbian Unit, Salonica AWMM Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service AWMM
- WW1 Royal Army Medical Corps AWMM
2nd Embarkation AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
- 10 Nov 1915 AWMM
- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
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Last known rank
- Last rank
- WW1 14 Sept 1919 AWMM
2nd Embarkation AWMM - Last rank
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Biographical information
- Eighth child of ten born to Elizabeth (nee Reeve) (1833-1880) and Thomas Walker Wilkinson (1824-1902) who married in Christchurch in 1855.
Ada attended Christchurch Girls High School before enrolling in her BA at Canterbury University.
In the early 1890s Ada and her older sister Kate received a bequest from an aunt, Eliza Thompson (nee Wilkinson). One of Ada's professors probably encouraged Ada to study at Edinburgh. In 1896 it was announced that Edinburgh University would accept women to study medicine.
Ada began studying medicine at Edinburgh University in August/September 1896. During her studies she was awarded the following prizes:
- Honours and prizes in botany and zoology
- First class honours and prizes in practical chemistry (100%) and in botany (81%)
- Third place in practical zoology
- The Arthur Scholarship 50 pounds for an average of 89%
Ada also received awards in chemistry, history, and physics.
After graduating Ada was appointed the Assistant Medical Officer at the County Lunatic Asylum, Whitecroft, Isle of Wight.
In 1910 Ada studied and passed her DPH (Dipolma in Public Health) at Cambridge University.
With the outbreak of the Austro-Hungarian War (ust prior to WWI) a few female doctors from or in Scotland wanted to offer their knowledge. Ada joined the First Scottish Women's Hospital Unit and left for Serbia. After serving in Serbia and being captured as a POW, the Scottish female doctors were called to serve in WWI. AWMM
About death
- Death
- 1 Mar 1951 AWMM
Age 82 AWMM - Date of death
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- Age at death
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- Place of death
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- Cause of death
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- Death notes
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- Cemetery
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- Obituary
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Memorial
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Sources
- External links
- Lady Doctors Of the Malta Garrison, Ada McLaren 1870 – 1949
https://www.maltaramc.com/ladydoc/m/mclarena.html
Further Reference - NEWS FROM CHERTSEY, Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLI, Issue 9381, 1 December 1920, Page 6
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AG19201201.2.45
Further Reference - PERSONAL. Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8277, 23 October 1915, Page 4
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AG19151023.2.16
Further Reference - REPRESSION, North Canterbury Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 82, 19 February 1935, Page 5
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NCGAZ19350219.2.21
Further Reference - Newell, Antonia. ‘Was the Involvement of Women Doctors in British Military Medical Service in the First World War a Success or a Failure?’ MA dissertation, University of Wolverhampton, January 2020.
https://www.friendsofmillbank.org/downloads/Women%20doctors%20in%20WW1%20-%20Antonia%20Newell.pdf
Further Reference - McLaren, E. S. (1919). A history of the Scottish Women’s Hospitals. London : Hodder & Stoughton.
McLaren, E. S. (1919). A history of the Scottish Women’s Hospitals. London : Hodder & Stoughton.
Further Reference - Juliana Smithells and Sophie Elborough. New Zealand Trailblazer: Dr Ada McLaren. Auckland Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira. First published: 3 Nov 2026.
https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/features/ada-mclaren
Further Reference
- Lady Doctors Of the Malta Garrison, Ada McLaren 1870 – 1949
- References
- Civilian service: This individual did not formally enlist or serve as a member of the armed forces but has been included in Online Cenotaph in recognition of their contribution during wartime. Existing military service fields have been used to record their involvement where appropriate and should not be interpreted as evidence of formal military service.
- Information kindly provided by family
- Wright-St Clair, R. (2013). Historia nunc vivat medical practitioners in New Zealand, 1840 to 1930. Christchurch, N.Z.: Cotter Medical History Trust.
- McLaren, E. S. (1919). A history of the Scottish Women’s Hospitals. London : Hodder & Stoughton.
- Tolerton, J. (2017). Make her praises heard afar : New Zealand women overseas in World War One. Wellington, New Zealand : Booklovers Books.
The development of the Online Cenotaph is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided.
Online Cenotaph Data by Auckland War Memorial Museum is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.