

Sinéad Spearing
Medical Historian
Sinead is a Medical Historian specialising in Old English folk-remedies and associated beliefs. She is the author of Old English Medical Remedies and A History of Women in Medicine. Her new book, A Healing Faith: St. Hildegard of Bingen's Herbal Medicine in the Light of Catholicism, is due for release next year.
Please note: Sinéad does not endorse the use of witchcraft and magic. These practices are replete in Old English medicine due to the pagan cultural traditions of the time.
About
Sinéad Spearing is a Medical Historian, specialising in Old English folk-remedies and associated beliefs. She trained as a professional classical musician and music teacher before returning to university to study psychology and philosophy. Her books Old English Medical Remedies and A History of Women in Medicine emerged from her PhD and are based on church documents compiled by Bishop Bald of Winchester. Bishop Bald's manuscripts focused upon the indigenous healing practices and remedies of Anglo-Saxon England during a time when women attended the local communities with their herbal knowledge. Her novel The Witch of Tessingham Hall tells the story of these women healers and midwives who became wrongly caught up in the turmoil of the witch trials. Sinéad's work in this area has seen her invited to talk at The British Society of Pharmacology, The Old Operating Theatre Museum London with acclaimed reviews from The Natural History Museum. She has also written articles for PsychTalk of The British Psycological Society and Watkin's Magazine amoung others. The efficacy of these healing women's remedies has recently been verified by the AncientBiotics team at Nottingham University when they discovered a remedy from Bishop Bald's manuscript cures MRSA where our modern antibiotics fail.
Her new book A Healing Faith: St. Hildegard of Bingen's Herbal Medicine in the Light of Catholicism, focuses on the misunderstood aspects of Hildegard's herbal knowledge. It is due for release next year.