Dr. James Barry was a well recognized and high ranking surgeon in the British military in the mid-19th century. Upon his death, it was realized and noted upon that Barry was not cisgender male. Further speculation and claims have been made that he was either intersex or a person assigned female at birth that had lived their life fully socially and presentation wise as a male. To which of these are true, is unknown.

What is known is that he took on his uncle’s legal name when the original Barry passed away. He went on to go to medical school and became, unknowingly to anyone else at the time, the first assigned female at birth person to gain a doctorate degree in medicine in British History. He was known as a highly skilled surgeon.

He worked as a doctor and surgeon in Cape Town during the British occupation and colonization of the area, treating the rich and poor, black and white patients. He is also known for having performed one of the first successful cesarean sections in Africa in which the mother and child both survived. He is also known for having a hot temper and a fashionable, sometimes stated as “flamboyant,” sense of dressing.

He retired at an old age and later gave specific instructions to bury him after his death without medical examination, this wish was not honored, which is the only reason anyone has come to know of the Doctor’s history and why there were speculations of his birth sex and gender. The doctor who signed his death certificate stated that it was “none of his business” what Dr. Barry’s birth sex was when questioned.