Dr Alfred Pearson.

[Chris G.]

Thanks Chris.

Another thing that would need explaining would be: where exactly would Dr. Pearson perform surgery? While Victorian surgery was primitive by our standards, I'm fairly sure that the authorities would frown about even a qualified doctor performing internal surgery in his home. I wonder if there were any hospitals closer to Kingswinford than Birmingham, and if so whether any records survive from them.

Hello Magpie

As you say, Pearson was unlikely to perform any internal surgery at his home -- the most he might do would be to lance a boil or possibly to deliver a baby at a patient's home. My hunch is that as a general practitioner he would not have done any major surgery at all. As for hospitals closer than Birmingham, possibly not hospitals as such but Stourbridge had a workhouse as did Kingswinsford itself and both would no doubt would have required the services of a medical man, as would Ashwood House, Kingswinford, which was a private insane asylum.

Chris

[Mike Covell]

A thought occurs: for such an "eminent" surgeon, Pearson seems to have had to do a lot of moonlighting-the police, post office, public vaccinator, medical officer, the collieries, numerous assurance companies and at least three friendly societies--to supplement whatever he earned from his practice.

Doctor Frederick Richard Chapman, and Doctor Kelburne King were the same Magpie. Chapman would turn up at Hull based meetings, lectures, and inquests giving his view on events. He was a regular at the Hull General Infirmary and the local volunteer based Hull and Sculcoates Dispensary.

Doctor Kelburne King was in a similar position, he worked as a Medico, but moonlighted on the lecture circuit, ran a successful Literary and Philosophical Society, appeared at meetings and charity events, worked for the Hull Corporation and Hull Customs, and even had time to become Mayor of Hull on several occasions.

Looking at Victorian Medico's in the district during the Victorian period highlights a few more local medical men who would have more than one role in society but their main role being medical.

[Chris G.]

Hi Mike and Magpie

There might be a number of factors here. A doctor would be an eminent member of the community so he would probably be involved as such in a number of local concerns, sit on boards, give talks, etc. But there might also be the question of whether he would be able to make an adequate living as a doctor with a country practice, unless he had private means to live upon. So he might have had to do other jobs in order to get by. As somewhat of an example, Sir Samuel Brighouse (1849-1940), coroner for southwest Lancashire, who during a long career oversaw both the Maybrick and Rainhill (Deeming murders) enquiries as well as industrial accident inquests until his death in 1940, retained his position as head of the firm of the Orkskirk firm of solicitors, Brighouse, Brighouse, and Jones, for the entirely of his life, probably because what he made as a coroner was insufficient to live upon.

Chris

[Magpie]

Hello Magpie

As you say, Pearson was unlikely to perform any internal surgery at his home -- the most he might do would be to lance a boil or possibly to deliver a baby at a patient's home. My hunch is that as a general practitioner he would not have done any major surgery at all. As for hospitals closer than Birmingham, possibly not hospitals as such but Stourbridge had a workhouse as did Kingswinsford itself and both would no doubt would have required the services of a medical man, as would Ashwood House, Kingswinford, which was a private insane asylum.

Chris

Hi Chris.

I was looking for info about Ashwood House (derelict asylums are an interest of mine) and found this interesting tidbit: The structure was originally built as a mansion for the Earl of Dudley, and there were rumours of a tunnel/underground road between the House and another building in the area. When the building was destroyed in 1964, workmen apparently found a large, gallery like basement that appeared to go some distant toward the alleged destination of the "tunnel".

[Magpie]

Oh, and the resident sawbones for Ashwood was a George Fowler Bodington, MRCP London, FRCs exam. A most hard-working individual:

http://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/biogs/E000910b.htm

[Magpie]

Vindication may come slow, but it DOES come....

The post I made to was insinuating that it is easy to look through "Google Books" and carry out research finding the odd name and locale that might fit, like a small piece in a much bigger jigsaw, but how she can call that research is beyond me.

Just how many archival establishments and local studies centre's have you visited in your quest?



Karen writes,
Lamest research find of the year goes to Mike Covell for finding a WP Pearson, Dentist from Kidderminster in the British Dental Association Journal. Alfred William Pearson was a physician and surgeon. Physicians and surgeons appear in the British Medical Journal, whereas dentists appear in the British Dental Association Journal. I found my information on Pearson in The Lancet, which is a Medical Journal, not a Dental Journal. So, unfortunately, Mr. Covell, in your weak and anemic attempt to discredit me, you only succeed in showing your ineptitude. In future, it might be wise for you to stick with Donston!

Here you go, Mike:

http://www.bmj.com/content/1/1954/1560.1.full.pdf


Dentistry news from the British Medical Journal, which is a Medical Journal, not a Dental Journal. Did I mention that the British Medical Journal was a Medical Journal, and not a Dental Journal, but that it has news about Dentistry? Because apparently according to some folks that's just not possible.





Oh, and just to put the boot in, a certain world-famous authoress has definately accessed this edition of the BMJ and even posted part of it on her forum. In fact that's how I ran across it--doublechecking something that she had posted.


Was there something about "ineptitude" mentioned in relation to this

[Christopher Morley]

Eminent Dr Pearson

Hi, I know this is an old thread, but I'm just updating my suspect book, and need to clarify something on the eminent Dr Pearson.
1881 England, Wales & Scotland Census

Alfred William
Pearson
Head
Married
Male
31
1850
Physician & Surgeon (Edinburgh)


Elizabeth A R
Pearson
Wife
Married
Female
25
1856
-





1891 England, Wales & Scotland Census

Alfred Pearson head married male 41 1850 Physician & Surgeon
Elizabeth Ann Pearson wife.
children
* Bernice Rogers Pearson Born July 26, 1881 in Kingswinford
* Gladys Rogers Pearson Born October 12, 1884 in Kingswinford Died November 4, 1885
* Una Christinie Rogers Pearson Born 1891 in Stourbridge Died 1980-1981 in London
ELIZABETH ANN ROGERS
married Alfred William Pearson 1895
I can find no other marriage record of either Alfred Pearson or Elizabeth Ann Rogers before 1895, so why would such an "eminently respected" Physician & Surgeon state on the census he was married and have three children to a woman he is not married to. Or am I missing a marriage somewhere?