Louise Brown, the World’s First Baby conceived via IVF was born on the 25th July 1978, at Oldham General Hospital.

On 10th November 1977, Louise’s Mother, Lesley Brown underwent a procedure, later to become known as in vitro fertilisation (IVF), developed by Patrick Steptoe, Robert Edwards and Jean Purdy.

Patrick Steptoe was a client of Wrigley Claydon Solicitors, and at the time Paul Vincent, who was a junior parnter, was asked to draw up legal papers for a research trust to be set up by Steptoe and Professor Bob Edwards concerning the whole IVF issue which the pair were pioneering.

Robert Edwards, whose research enabled IVF won a Nobel prize. Although the media referred to Louise Brown as a “test tube baby”, her conception actually took place in a petri dish.

Source: Oldham Chronicle