Born St. Andrews East, Quebec, 1869, granddaughter of  Rev. William Abbott of that parish, and Frances Mary Abbott;  and grandniece of  Rev. Joseph Abbott, father of  John Joseph Caldwell Abbott, the first Canadian born Prime Minister of Canada. 

She was educated at Misses Symmers and Smith School in Montreal, Bishop's College in  Lennoxville, M.D., C.M. 1894, McGill University, Montreal, B.A. with gold medal and honorary M.D. in 1910. She has been engaged in medical research for many years.