Morpathia: The latest article about the Morpeth Dispensary

“The roof of the Waiting Room,” says the minute, “must be thoroughly repaired ... the wet comes in so much that on a rainy day the patients cannot occupy the room.”

The waiting room was in a single-story offshot at the north end of the building, which had probably once been a coal house and privy. The consulting room was in the same offshot, but I suppose it wasn’t affected, else the Committee would surely have acted sooner.

In January 1880, there was an inquest at the Black Swan on the body of John Robson, mason, aged 76. The Morpeth Herald reported: “Elizabeth Robson said she was the wife of the deceased, who was a mason at Morpeth and was 76 years of age.

“He went out about nine o’clock on Saturday morning. He returned about half an hour afterwards, and sat by the fireside. Shortly afterwards, he fell forward, but she caught him in her arms, or he would have fallen to the floor and died there. Her son ran for ... Dr. Chadwick, the Dispensary doctor, who said he was dead and could do nothing for him. ... The jury then returned a verdict of ‘Death by natural causes’.

“It was proposed by one of the jurymen that their jury fees be handed over to the foreman to purchase provisions for the funeral of the deceased – The proposal was heartily agreed to.”

The annual meeting that month was routine. The medical report was passed, it was agreed to appoint a collector for the arrears of subscriptions, the Committee of Management was re-elected, with some new members including Mr J. Hann in the place of the late Mr McKay, and Mr Chadwick was re-elected as House Surgeon for a further three years.

In October, however, he applied for a testimonial. This was agreed, provided that if he obtained another appointment he gave three months notice and either continued to perform the duties himself, or found a properly qualified substitute; but whatever job he had applied for, he didn’t get it.

A Mr Garvie, meanwhile, was to give an estimate for painting the spouts, windows and doors.

At the annual meeting the following January (1881), the Governors ordered a carpet to be purchased for the House Surgeon’s room, at 3/9 per yard, and estimates to be obtained for cementing the Dispensary walls.

This, with the repainting and the work on the waiting room roof in 1879, shows the Governors making an effort to keep the building in repair, but money was always short and one has the feeling that things had to reach a critical stage before anything was done.

April 3rd was census day. At the Dispensary were: George Richard Chadwick, unmarried, 27, surgeon, born at Lynn, Norfolk; Jane Beveridge, servant, widow, 30, born in Morpeth, and Elizabeth Jones, sister, 9, scholar, also born in Morpeth. It actually asked for relationships to the head of the household, Dr Chadwick, but I think we can assume that Elizabeth was Mrs Beveridge’s sister.

The annual meeting on January 13, 1882, was largely routine. Dr Chadwick’s medical report was much like his previous ones: Patients admitted, 548; died, 25, remaining on the books, 17. The deaths were due to: Phthisis, 6; Pneumonia, 1; Bronchitis, 2; Heart Disease, 4; Marasmus, 4; Convulsions, 2; Cancer, 2; Dentition, 1; Tabes Mesenterica, 1; Enteritis, 1; Gangrene, 1.

Phthisis is tuberculosis, tabes tuberculosis of the lymph glands. Marasmus is severe malnutrition in very young children.

Ten of the deaths were of children under five years, but despite this miserable tally it is noticeable that the average number of patients admitted in the six years that Dr Chadwick held office, from 1877 to 1882, was a little under 560, compared with ten of the 13 years from 1853 to 1865 when admissions regularly exceeded a thousand.

It is hard not to see here the effect of the public health measures introduced by the Medical Officer of Health, Dr Clarkson, from 1868 onwards.

As usual, there were unpaid subscriptions. It was agreed to pay a commission of 10% for collections in the country and 5% in the town.

It was also resolved to invest £90 in NER 4% stock, probably from a bequest of £100 left by the late Mrs Mary Hollon.

On August 7, Dr Chadwick submitted his resignation. Dr Edwin Woodward of King’s Lynn had just died. Amongst other official appointments, he was the police surgeon and medical adviser to the Royal Navy recruiting department.

His house, medical practice and these two official positions now passed to Dr Chadwick.

George Chadwick came from King’s Lynn. He qualified LSA in 1875, MRCS in 1876 and MD (Durham) in 1894.

We mostly hear of him as a police surgeon, involving such tasks as certifying lunatics – there seem to have been an awful lot in North Norfolk in those days – and carrying out post-mortems, usually in company with another doctor.

On April 24, 1890, at All Saints’ Church, Nottingham, he married Miss Marion (Lily) Morley of that town. Their son was born in January 1891.

They also had a daughter, Dorothy, who in 1912 won the prize for good conduct at Lynn Girls’ High School, given by Queen Alexandra.

Dr Chadwick died in 1918, two months before the end of the First World War, aged 64. He left a wife, son and daughter. As well as his positions with the police and the Royal Navy, he was also medical referee for the GPO.

In 1914, he retired after 27 years as honorary surgeon to the West Norfolk and Lynn Hospital having reached the prescribed age, but took up the post again when war broke out and held it until his death.

“For four years,” said the Lynn News, “he carried on, unaided, the major surgical work at the hospital and helped with the minor work in addition. In this work he was unsparing ... and undoubtedly his energy and devotion to duty in this particular branch of his professional work sapped much of his strength.”

His coffin was carried by members of the Borough of King’s Lynn Police Force. The chief constable and other officers preceded the hearse.

The ex-mayor, Mr R.O. Ridley, said: “He was a fine man, and has saved many a poor person’s life. I never knew a straighter man, and I can personally testify to several cases of the very poorest in which he bestowed his best attention as a gift.”

Canon Vawdrey, his vicar, said: “I shall miss him much. Kind and genial with firmness of character and great professional ability and shrewdness of intellect, he was always a delightful companion to those who really knew him.”

His son, Dr Morley Chadwick, joined in the RAMC in 1915. After Dr Chadwick’s death, Capt Morley Chadwick, as he now was, was appointed to the office of police surgeon at £30 p.a.

Books by Roger Hawkins are available at Newgate News and the Old Herald Office in Morpeth, or from Amazon.