Born: 6 September 1897, Ireland
Died: 18 February 1951
Country most active: United Kingdom
Also known as: Attracta Candon
This biography is republished from The Dictionary of Irish Biography and was written by Helen Andrews. Shared by permission in line with Creative Commons ‘Attribution’ (CC BY) licencing.
Rewcastle, Attracta Genevieve (1897–1951), doctor and public figure, was born 6 September 1897 in Ballaghadereen, Co. Mayo, daughter of Bartholomew Candon, publican and grocer, and Winifred Candon (née Casey). She studied in Galway and Dublin, graduating MB, B.Ch., and BAO (1921) from NUI. After serving as house physician at St Ultan’s Hospital, Dublin, she settled in England and was appointed assistant school medical officer in Sheffield. After her marriage (1926) to C. S. Rewcastle (1888–1962), KC, she engaged in private practice, specialising in disorders of women and children, and served as a clinical assistant at the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond St., London.
On the outbreak of the second world war, she was appointed (1939) medical superintendent to the Women’s Royal Naval Service; commissioned (1940) in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, she was the first woman doctor to be appointed to the Royal Navy and served as assistant, responsible for the medical welfare of women personnel, to the medical director-general. Promoted surgeon lieutenant-commander (1945) – the only woman to hold this rank – she was appreciated for her skill, tact, and wisdom. She maintained a friendly liaison between the medical director general and the director of the WRNS and helped to provide an efficient medical service for women in the navy. She published articles in the Journal of the Royal Navy Medical Service and was awarded an OBE (1946).
After the war, she resumed her specialist interest in diseases of women and children and returned to Great Ormond St., took D.Ch., and subsequently worked as a maternity and child welfare officer in the catholic Bird-in-Bush Welfare Centre, Camberwell, south-east London. Her many public commitments included being adviser to the National Council of Women on health matters, vice-convenor of the International Child Welfare Committee, and one of four British representatives in the International Union of Family Organisations. Active in the catholic community, she was elected president of the Catholic Women’s League (1936–8), which involved much travelling and public speaking, and was awarded the Cross pro Ecclesia et Pontifice. Chairman of the National Board of Catholic Women (1945–7), she was a committee member of the Guild of St Luke, St Cosmas, and St Damian, and of other catholic societies. A keen politician, she was elected to the Westminster borough council and to the housing committee of the London county council and various hospital committees, and stood as conservative candidate for West Willesden, north-west London, in the general election of 1950.
Appreciated for her great charm and good humour, she lived at 46 Westminster Palace Gardens, SW1, and died 18 February 1951; a requiem mass was held for her in Westminster cathedral. She was survived by her husband, two sons, and a daughter.