Born 1867, and photographed here in 1919 wearing her Scottish Womens Hospital uniform and Croix de Guerre. Elizabeth was the third daughter of George Courtauld who we have mentioned before in this site. She qualified as a Nurse but was determined to become a Doctor before women were admitted to medical degrees in this country. She had to go to Brussels to obtain her dregree, although she did here training at at the Royal Free Hospital - she became one of the earliest women to become a Doctor in 1901. After spending many years practicing in India, she returned to England shortly before World War I during which time she continued her medical work serving with the Scottish Womens Hospital at advanced field stations in France and Serbia and was awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Legion d'Honneur. She recieved these two highest French Decorations for operating by the light of one candle under constant shell fire from the Germans. She was a generous benefactor to Halstead Hospital and in 1920 paid £4,000 for a new out-patients block in memory of her Father. She lattery lived at Perces, Greenstead Green where she passed away on Boxing Day, 1947.
Halstead's main doctors surgery moved recently to a newly built complex named after Elizabeth Courtauld which can be viewed here
