Born Chester 1874. Daughter of the Reverend, George Lewis (1822-1894) and Catherine Hilton Robinson (1835-1895). She had four brothers and five sisters.
She studied Medicine at Edinburgh University, in 1901, residing at 9, Melville Terrace, Edinburgh. Completed her studies at Trinity College, Dublin. Qualified as Licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons, in 1905. She served her medical residency in Larbert Mental Asylum in central Scotland. Moved to Hillside, Devizes, Wiltshire (1907) and 255, Anlaby Road, Hull (1911 Census). She worked in Hull, as Medical Officer to both the Diocesan Maternity Hospital and the Sheltering Home for Girls.
She served with distinction in the Great War. In June 1915, she joined a group of female Doctors in Serbia. Served as a doctor, at Valjevo from July 1915 to 12 February 1916 and with the America Unit and Transport Column, from 4 August 1916 to December 1917. Her hospital was overrun by the enemy and she spent four months as a prisoner of war, in Hungary. In poor health, she was released back to Britain in February 1916. Despite her weakened condition, she returned to the front, in August 1916, serving the Serbian army and civilian casualties in Macedonia. In 1917, she helped establish the Serbia Relief Fund. She returned to Britain in December 1917 due to a family illness.
She became gravely ill on 7 March 1918, from “an illness contracted in Serbia and died at 255, Anlaby Road, Hull, three days later, aged 43. He probate effects were left to three brothers.
Her body was cremated and her ashes are buried in Old St Paul’s Episcopal Church in central Edinburgh, marked by a brass plaque near the south-west corner. Categorised as “war dead” hers is the only female name on the war memorial in Old St Paul’s, Edinburgh. She was also commemorated on the WW1 memorial at St Marys Church, Lowgate, Hull.
The Serbian Empire awarded her the Order of Saint Sava for her services to their country.
Her obituary from the British Medical Journal, reads; – “DR. SYBIL LONIE LEWIS, who died at Hull on March 10th 1918, after a short illness, was born in 1874. She studied medicine in Edinburgh and Dublin, having previously been trained in nursing and midwifery, and obtained the L.R.C.P., L.R.C.S., and L.R.F.P.S. diplomas in 1905. After serving as assistant resident medical officer at the Larbert Asylum she began practice in Hull, and held the appointment of school medical officer and the honorary Medical Officer of the Diocesan Maternity Home, the Hull Sheltering Home for Girls, and the West Hull creche. In the spring of 1915 Dr. Lewis volunteered for work in Serbia, and went out there in June under the Scottish Women’s Hospitals. She was in Serbia when the country was overrun by the enemy and the hospital staffs taken prisoners in 1915. Although a Red Cross party, they were detained in Hungary for four months, under the roughest conditions, and were not released and sent home until February, 1916. Dr. Lewis went out again in August, 1916; and worked with the Serbian army in Macedonia and among the civilian refugees till December, 1917, when she was recalled by urgent need at home. She received the Serbian, decoration, of the Order of St. Sava. Fourth Class, in recognition: of her devoted work among the Serbs. Her illness lasted only three days, but, in the opinion of the surgeon attending her, the conditions causing it were contracted abroad, and her name must be added to the growing list of medical women who have given their lives for Serbia.”
There is a short obituary in The Times of 12th March 1918, confirming some of the details included on her plaque at Old St Paul’s Episcopal Church, Edinburgh .
