Marie Stopes

Marie Stopes in her laboratory, 1904 - Restoration

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Married Love Cover

Marie Stopes House, Whitfield Street, London

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Caricature; 'attempted revolution in Dublin'. Wellcome L0021186

Marie Charlotte Carmichael Stopes (15 October 1880 – 2 October 1958) was a British author, palaeobotanist, researcher, eugenicist, and campaigner for women's rights. She made significant contributions to plant palaeontology and coal classification, and was the first female academic on the faculty at the University of Manchester. However, she is best known for her work in the field of birth control and sex education, being one of the most influential figures in the public discussion of contraception during the early 20th century.

Early Life and Education

Marie Stopes was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, to Henry Stopes, an architect and engineer, and Charlotte Carmichael Stopes, a scholar and women's rights campaigner. She was educated at home by her mother before attending the University of London, where she earned a first-class B.Sc. in botany in 1902. She continued her studies at the University of Munich, becoming the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in botany from the institution in 1904.

Career

After completing her education, Stopes focused on the study of fossil plants, contributing to the understanding of the Carboniferous period. Her work in palaeobotany led her to join the faculty at the University of Manchester in 1904, where she continued her research.

In 1918, Stopes shifted her focus to human sexuality and contraception, publishing Married Love, a book that broke new ground by discussing the subject of sex openly. The book was controversial but highly popular, leading to the opening of the first birth control clinic in Britain, the Mothers' Clinic for Constructive Birth Control, in North London in 1921. This clinic provided contraceptive advice to married women and gathered data on contraception and female sexuality.

Advocacy and Controversy

Stopes was a controversial figure, advocating for eugenics and the sterilization of those she deemed unfit for parenthood, which has marred her legacy. Despite this, her advocacy for birth control and the establishment of clinics significantly advanced the cause of women's reproductive rights.

She was involved in several legal battles related to her work and publications on contraception, which brought further public attention to the issues of birth control and women's rights. Stopes also founded the Society for Constructive Birth Control and Racial Progress, which aimed to support her eugenic policies.

Personal Life

Marie Stopes was married twice, first to Reginald Ruggles Gates in 1911, a marriage that was annulled in 1914, and then to Humphrey Verdon Roe in 1918, with whom she had one son. Her personal experiences, including difficulties in her first marriage, influenced her work and advocacy for sex education and contraception.

Legacy

Marie Stopes' contributions to palaeobotany, her pioneering work in the field of contraception, and her role in the early family planning movement have left a lasting impact. Despite the controversy surrounding her support for eugenics, her efforts in promoting women's reproductive rights and sex education have been recognized as groundbreaking. The organization she founded, Marie Stopes International, continues to provide reproductive health services around the world.

Selected Works

• Married Love (1918)
• Wise Parenthood (1918)
• Radiant Motherhood (1920)