Born in Ireland on October 1, 1879, Francis J Browne (known as ‘FJ’) as the fourth of eight children born into a farming family. Finding that farming life held little appeal for him, FJ tried joining the Irish Guards in London and worked as a railway porter before entering the University of Aberdeen to study medicine in 1901. 

FJ qualified as a doctor in 1906 and immediately took a salaried post as a GP attached to a colliery (coal mine) in Abertillery, a small mining town in South Wales. He “was keen to get started in the practice of medicine as quickly as possible and intent on paying off his debts so that he could get married.”¹ And get married he did, marrying his first wife, Minnie, in 1908. At this time, much of the work of a general practitioner consisted of midwifery, and due to “the rising birth rate and the custom of having babies at home,”¹ it required a lot of travel. To navigate the steep streets and hills of Abertillery, FJ acquired a pony and trap.

figure 1: Certificates of Merit and Pass Cards awarded to Francis J Browne by the University of Aberdeen. Photo: Jess Bacon

figure 2: Certificates of Merit and Pass Cards awarded to Francis J Browne by the University of Aberdeen. Photo: Jess Bacon

FJ worked in Abertillery as a GP for 13 years, until, having discovered an interest in obstetrics, he took up the speciality at the age of 39. A late starter, but also an outstanding talent, by 1926 he had been appointed as Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at University College Hospital, London. In 1929, FJ Browne was one of the Foundation Fellows of the British College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

FJ was renowned throughout his career as an exceptional teacher and inspirational leader. In 1935, FJ published the first edition of his landmark text Antenatal and Postnatal Care. This was the first book of its kind, focusing on the care of women during pregnancy rather than on labour and delivery. Herbert Reiss notes that the book’s impact “was instant and enormous,” becoming “essential reading for many generations of medical students and residents.”¹ Subsequent editions of Antenatal and Postnatal Care were released throughout FJ’s lifetime, with the 9th and final edition released in 1960 (co-edited with his son John McClure Browne).

Figure 3. Antenatal and Postnatal Care by F.J. Browne and J.C. McLure Browne, Ninth Edition, 1960. Photo: Jess Bacon

In 1950, at the age of 71, FJ travelled to Australia and New Zealand on a travelling scholarship. Having lost his wife Minnie to carcinoma in 1948, FJ was accompanied on the long trip by his daughter, Eileen. While, in Sydney, he met Grace Cuthbert, a well-known local obstetrician and the director of Maternal and Baby Welfare in the Department of Health in New South Wales. Their relationship blossomed, and FJ remarried, eventually moving to Australia and living out his later years with Grace in New South Wales. In recognition of his significant contribution to the specialty, FJ Browne was awarded the Blair-Bell Medal in 1960.

Following FJ’s passing, the FJ Browne Medal was presented by the College to outstanding achievers for a period of twenty-five years. First presented in 1964, and initially awarded for the most outstanding scientific contribution at an Australian Congress, it was subsequently awarded to the most successful candidate in College examinations between 1971 and 1999.

In 1991, Grace Cuthbert Browne donated FJ Browne’s personal papers to the College. This extraordinary collection includes documentation from his university days, diaries, personal and professional correspondence, and a small selection of objects, including medals and badges, a lucky cat charm given to FJ during his time in Wales, an academic cape, and items relating to his military service during World War I.

Figure 4. Collection of memorabilia relating to Francis J Browne. Photo: Jess Bacon

In his biography of FJ Browne, Herbert Reiss lauds FJ as “the foremost obstetrician of his day and the founder of modern antenatal care.”¹ It is not difficult to see why he is held in such high regard. The College is honoured to hold such a fascinating collection of objects relating to such a significant figure in the field of obstetrics.

A range of objects relating to FJ Browne are currently on display at Djeembana College Place in Naarm (Melbourne). Members and trainees are invited to visit the College to view these fascinating insights into obstetrics history.

Click to see more of RANZCOG’s Historical Collection