Bell, Elizabeth Gould (1862?–1934), medical doctor and suffragist, was born in Newry, Co. Down, daughter of Joseph Bell of Spring Hill, Newry, clerk of the Newry Union. Little is known of her childhood and early education. With her sister Margaret Bell, she completed one year's study in the arts faculty at QCB (1889) before successfully applying to transfer to the faculty of medicine. Medicine had been closed to women students till then. She was the first woman medical graduate in Ulster, graduating from the RUI in 1893. A member of the British Medical Association and the Ulster Medical Society, she published ‘A curious condition of placenta and membranes’ in the annual report of the North of Ireland branch of the British Medical Association (1896).
Keenly interested in social welfare and in the health and well-being of women and children, she spent most of her career in Belfast, where she had a successful practice. There is a record of her spending some time in Manchester around 1905. Her work with women led to her becoming medical officer (later honorary physician) to a precursor of the non-denominational ‘Belfast midnight mission rescue and maternity home’ (later Malone Place Hospital), which was set up for homeless and unmarried mothers. She was honorary physician to the babies’ home at the Grove, Belfast, and worked as a medical officer in connection with Belfast corporation's ‘babies club’ welfare scheme.
During the first world war she was stationed as a doctor with the British army in Malta, where many hospitals were set up to care for thousands of injured allied soldiers. Noted for her striking personality and intellect, she was a supporter of the women's suffrage movement and was a close friend and supporter of Emmeline Pankhurst, the prominent British feminist figure. She lived at 83 Great Victoria St., before moving to 4 College Gardens, Belfast. She died 9 July 1934 at her home.
She married Dr Hugh Fisher; they had one son. Her husband died early in their marriage and her son died in a German hospital after being injured in France during the first world war. She has been described as a pioneer of the feminist movement in Ireland.