Richard Faircloth

Richard Faircloth is a hugely significant character in the medical history of Newmarket, since both Orchard House and Oakfield Surgeries of today can trace their origins back to the practice he established in the 1830s (see The Orchard House practice chain and The Oakfield practice chain).

He was born at Shenley, Hertfordshire, in 1809 (just south of St Albans), the son of Richard and Rebecca Faircloth. A few years later the family were living in Hornsey near Highgate, just north of London. There his father was described as a clerk (probably administrative rather than ecclesiastical), later described simply as a ‘gentleman’. Anyway, he doesn’t appear to have been a medic. The Faircloth’s did however have another medical son, John Marlborough Cowell Faircloth, born in 1812, who later in life became a very well qualified physician at Northampton. Richard and John had at least one younger brother named George, born in 1814, regarding whom nothing further is known currently, except there’s no evidence that he was a medic. They appear to have had a sister Susan as well, born about 1821, who was with Richard on the 1841 census at Newmarket.

Richard Faircloth served his apprenticeship in Northampton to a James Mash, with his indenture dated 1826 when he would have been 17 years of age. His brother John was also an apprentice of James Mash, starting 3 years later, so their training must have overlapped. At that time both were described as from St Albans, so the family must have moved back to Hertfordshire at some point. He passed the standard for the time LSA and MRCS qualifications in 1831 and 1832 respectively, after spending 7 months at Guy’s hospital in London and attending the usual lectures (see the references below for details, and also The history of medical treatments, training, qualifications and regulation for more on these qualifications). Much later, in 1852, he also became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, so appears in Plarr’s lives of the Fellows. This reveals that he was apprenticed to a Dr Robertson in Northampton too, presumably during his initial training period. The photograph at the top right is from the Royal College of Surgeons’ archives.

Richard Faircloth is first mentioned in Suffolk in 1833, when he applied unsuccessfully for a job at the Suffolk General Hospital in Bury St Edmunds. It might be that he settled in Newmarket at that point. A newspaper report from 1835 mentions that he was a medic in Stowmarket, but there is no other evidence for this and the report has a number of other inaccuracies. Most likely this was a typo for Newmarket. Anyway, just a few months later, in March 1836, he was appointed a medical officer of the newly formed Newmarket Union poor law institution, which also would suggest that he was already established in the town.

Later in 1836 the Newmarket Union medical districts were reorganised and Richard Faircloth missed out on a role, but in March 1837 they were reorganised again and he was allocated District 6, which at that time comprised Newmarket All Saints and villages to the south west, i.e. Woodditton, Stetchworth, Dullingham, Borough Green, Brinkley and Westley Waterless. Later that same year he became medical officer to the workhouse as well, following the death of Walter Norton who had been in that role. In 1841 that became a permanent appointment (a post he held for three decades) but also in 1841, in another re-organisation, he lost out on a district role. However, in yet another re-organisation in 1842 he was appointed to District 2, which then comprised Brinkley, Borough Green, Westley Waterless, Dullingham, Stetchworth and Snailwell. He was to cover that district until 1878, so was an officer of the Newmarket Union in one form or another for over 40 years. The Newmarket Union minutes have well over 500 references to Richard Faircloth, so the account here and references below are necessarily quite selective.

Although the official requirements regarding how often the medical officer was expected to attend the workhouse varied over time, it seems that in practice he or his assistant went daily. At one point he was even expected to sign in daily. On a couple of occasions he described the role in some detail. In 1842 he said that out of a typical 240 ‘inmates’ in the workhouse in a given week, on average 35 were defined as ‘permanently sick’ and his work involved ‘severely acute diseases others of the chronic form… medicines and appliances’ daily visits ‘and frequently twice in the day (in dangerous illnesses)’. This record also notes that his work included midwifery cases. In 1855 he gave a longer description of the role: ‘I consider the duties of Medical Officer to the Workhouse to consist in providing medicine & attendance for such of the inmates as fall sick within the walls of the House, and to give the necessary assistance also to such casual poor (carried to the Workhouse) who may be in a state of sickness & destitution & having neither home nor friends.’ He reported the average number of permanent sick in the workhouse to be 44 at that time, and in the previous 6 months there had been 71 patients sent in because they were sick. He described himself or his assistant sometimes attending several times per day and one or other of them having attended the workhouse at least 400 times in the preceding 12 months. So this would have been a significant part of their working life. Newmarket Union roles also included vaccinating against smallpox, which was sometimes done during times of risk, as in 1839, when in his district role he was tasked with vaccinating the ‘paupers’ of Borough Green, ‘the smallpox having broken out’, and at other times his work involved vaccinating as part of a formal biannual programme in village school rooms and vestries (see the 1869 reference below).

The workhouse medical officer also had an advisory role regarding the general set-up of the workhouse, for example periodically flagging up overcrowding, being involved in discussions about the various extensions that took place over the years, and the need for equipment such as water mattresses and cushions for patients with ‘excoriation and sloughing’ – presumably what we would call pressure sores? He was even involved with setting the workhouse diet, which in 1854 involved ‘“1 pint and a half of Gruel for Breakfast daily for the Old Men, and that a Dinner of Meat the same as on Sunday be substituted for cheese on Tuesday for the whole of the inmates”’.

As with all ‘surgeons’ at this time Richard Faircloth’s poor law role regularly involved him in certifying people ‘insane’ before their transportation to various asylums, showing how their role was very generalist, not what we would think of as a surgeon today (see the Newmarket Union page for more on ayslums and the terminology used at this time). Not all such cases were sent to an asylum though. In 1873 he’s recorded caring for a ‘pauper’ from Westley Waterless who for several months had ‘been under treatment for puerperal mania after confinement [i.e. pregnancy]’. There were medical cases too, like dropsy (an old term for oedema), skin diseases, and infectious disease outbreaks including measles and smallpox, which sometimes necessitated closing the workhouse to new admissions to limit spread. In 1847 the district medical officer role involved him in setting up a temporary hospital at Stetchworth ‘for paupers affected with fever’. His district role also involved him in pointing out various public health hazards such as ‘the pestilential condition of a certain building at Snailwell’ in 1847 and ‘a foul and offensive Drain constructed so as to be a nuisance’ in Newmarket in 1850. As a poor law medical officer he’s also described certifying people fit to start apprenticeships, which for some were funded through the poor law, such as in 1860 when a 14 year old from Isleham was apprenticed to a Newmarket race horse trainer. However, the role of these 19th century surgeons was, as their name implies, very much more surgical than that of generalist medics today, evidenced by him using ‘surgical skill’ in a case of a compound fracture of the skull in 1856, also illustrated by other cases below, not necessarily connected with his poor law work.

Regarding Richard Faircloth’s wider practice, this was run from his house in Newmarket High Street, shown in the later photograph of that building on the right, when it was the shop of a Newmarket photographer named Frank Griggs. This stood where the entrance to the Post Office is today. The new post to the left of the building in the picture is the entrance to the Jockey Club, and is still visible today (see also the page on Grosvenor House, the remnants of which are visible in the picture on the right, for what the street looked like before that house was demolished, and the page on Cardigan Lodge for an 1884 plan that shows Richard Faircloth’s house unmarked next to Willoughby House).

Richard Faircloth did not marry or have a family, but he did have a whole series of assistants, some of whom are shown living in the house/surgery on the various census records. His known assistants were as follows (there might well have been more; for further details on those listed see the references below):-

Francis Carr Beard: on the 1841 census in Richard Faircloth’s household aged 25. Interestingly, later in life he was Charles Dickens doctor in London.

Mr Tudor: mentioned in the Newmarket Union minutes of 1849. It’s of note that this was in the context of the investigation of a complaint against Richard Faircloth and his assistant by the Board. It’s an interesting feature of the Newmarket Union minutes that such complaints were investigated much like they might be now – there were examples with several other Newmarket medics (e.g. Robert Fyson, Clement Frederick Gray and George Borwick Mead), and those further afield from different parts of the Union.

Benjamin Buck: on the 1851 census in his household, also aged 25, but appears to have emigrated to New Zealand in 1852/3 where he died in 1860.

Mr Bay(e)s: in 1852 was involved with an interesting case of treating a patient with apoplexy in the workhouse by putting him into a hot bath (possibly Frederick William Hart Bayes who qualified in 1851, who later worked in London then Walsingham, Norfolk).

Richard Innes: mentioned briefly in 1854 (nothing further known).

William Hickman: mentioned in 1858 as an assistant, around the time he qualified, but apparently spending most of his career in London. Oddly his Newmarket address appears as a duplicate entry in the Medical Register right up until 1878 (intriguingly the year of Richard Faircloth’s retirement – see below) but there are no other references to a William Hickman in Newmarket during that 20 year period and the Medical Directory does not have this duplicate, suggesting it is a mistake rather than there being two William Hickmans with otherwise identical details.

David Bowen: on the 1861 census in the household aged 22; he appears to have worked as Richard Faircloth’s assistant until 1866, when he returned to his native Wales.

John Lowe Price (!): mentioned in 1866 as an assistant and 1867 as a former assistant – mainly associated with Kettering.

Poole Field: mentioned briefly in 1867, also associated with London, Faversham in Kent and later Thorney near Peterborough. (His name really was Poole, not Paul!)

Charles Edward Wing: qualified in 1868/9 and worked with Richard Faircloth for many years as his assistant/deputy. He’s shown in his household on the 1871 census, but was first mentioned in Newmarket in the February of that year performing a post mortem on a patient who had died from choking. He’s mentioned working alongside Richard Faircloth on numerous occasions during the 1870s, including vaccinating, and attending cases of epilepsy, head injury and interestingly a local chemist with an accidental burn caused by mixing acids. There are some particularly interesting examples of continuity of care and sharing of cases by Richard Faircloth and Charles Wing in 1872 and 1876 (see the references below). Oddly he moved back to his native Bury St Edmunds just before Richard Faircloth’s 1878 retirement, rather than taking on the practice.

Note: it seems that most of the individuals listed above were newly qualified and with Richard Faircloth for only a short time. See the references below for more details about each of them.

Aside from his Newmarket Union roles, the other main institution that Richard Faircloth was involved with was the wonderfully named Newmarket Provident Society and self-aiding Medical Club, of which he was the secretary from its foundation in 1840 (when it had a slightly different name, which evolved over the years). This was a medical insurance scheme for those who were not covered by the poor law and not rich enough to pay medical bills as and when they arose. It also provided sick pay, pensions and other benefits. The society was partly charitable, in that richer members of the community, like the Duke of Rutland (who was its president/chairman) paid into the funds. It was noted in 1843, after a fascinating description of the organisations aims (again see the references below), that Richard Faircloth had devoted ‘much time and attention to the interests of the society’.

The only other institution that Richard Faircloth is known to have been involved with was the 1st Cambridgeshire Mounted Rifle Volunteers, when in 1860 he was made their Honorary Surgeon. There are other scattered references to Richard Faircloth in the records about his practice in general, like when he attended a patient near Haverhill following a road traffic accident in 1839 (obviously this would have been a horse drawn vehicle), another with gastrointestinal bleeding in 1842, and another apparent example of continuity of care in 1843. There are perhaps two further points of particular interest:-

In 1847 he was one of the Newmarket medics who attended a ‘painless operation under the influence of æther’at the Suffolk General Hospital (Robert James Peck and Frederick Page being the others). Anaesthetic was very new at that time. Just a few years later in 1853 Richard Faircloth is recorded himself using chloroform as an anaesthetic on amputating someone’s leg following a railway accident.

Also in 1847 he treated someone with a severe ankle fracture following a riding accident. He managed to avoid amputation on that occasion, and presented the case at a medical meeting in Bury St Edmunds. It’s particularly interesting mainly because of the very detailed description he gives regarding how he managed the case, giving us great insight into what the day to day practice of a 19th century Newmarket surgeon might have involved with other such cases, surely their bread and butter, especially in a place like Newmarket with its racing industry. He reduced the fracture and used stitches, plaster, lint, oiled silk, bandages and a splint, persevering with this management for several weeks until he could gradually step down the measures employed and progressively mobilise the patient. He describes various other interesting measures including a ‘foot-piece’, ‘bread poultice’, ‘stirrup of paste-board passed under the foot, and continued up either side of the leg’, and touching the wound ‘with sulphate of copper from time to time’. The patient ended up with one limb shorter than the other, but at least avoided amputation (see the references below for more details about the case.)

It’s interesting that these 19th century medics often travelled to medical meetings in neighbouring towns, despite transport being more difficult in those days. They even travelled quite a long way to some meetings, with the records showing Richard Faircloth attending such meetings in Norwich and even Edinburgh!

Richard Faircloth retired from his workhouse medical officer role in 1868, shortly after his 59th birthday – George Borwick Mead from another practice succeeding him in that role. The poor law Guardians recorded in their minutes, ‘their appreciation of the very valuable services rendered by Mr. Faircloth in the attentive and skilful discharge of his duties, his uniform kindness to the sick poor under his charge, and his respectful and courteous demeanour towards the Board during the time he has held the appointment = a period of upwards of 30 years’. He continued in his District role for a further decade, when on his resignation in 1878 ‘the clerk was directed to express to Mr. Faircloth the high sense of the Guardians of the valuable services rendered by him to the Board as well as to the poor under his charge during the very long period of forty years he has held office under them and of the uniform courtesy and urbanity which have characterised his intercourse with the members. That the Guardians hear with much concern that the retirement of Mr. Faircloth is rendered necessary by consideration of health and they trust that the rest which he will now enjoy may have the effect of speedily restoring him to health and prolonging his life.’ His entry in Plarr’s lives of the Fellows reveals that the health issue was sciatica. There he’s also described as ‘a quiet, courteous gentleman of the old school’. In addition it reveals that he was ‘the trusted friend and adviser’ (presumably at least partly medical?) of Admiral Rous and the Duke of Rutland, the latter being ‘his staunch friend’ (obviously, as above, this partly involved their work together for the Newmarket Provident Society and self-aiding Medical Club).

As mentioned above, a little surprisingly Charles Wing (a longstanding assistant) relocated to Bury St Edmund’s at this time, where he was originally from, and instead ‘Faircloth and Wright’ are shown in John Rowland Wright’s 1878 Medical Directory entry (see an image of this on the page about John Rowland Wright). This was a brief handover partnership (of which there are many other examples in the medical history of Newmarket e.g. Peck to Day in 1857/8). John Wright had been an assistant in a rival practice, that of Robert Fyson, for about the same length of time that Charles Wing had been with Richard Faircloth, and they were about the same age. It’s not known why Charles Wing didn’t take on the practice. Anyway, the 1881 census shows John Wright living in Richard Faircloth’s old house, Richard Faircloth in London (where he’s first recorded in 1879) and Charles Wing in Bury living with his sister. John Wright also succeeded to Richard Faircloth’s Newmarket Union role as medical officer to District 2, but interestingly had succeeded to his public vaccinator role in the September of 1877, which was perhaps the point at which the handover partnership began?

Richard Faircloth enjoyed a long retirement in Kensington, where he died only 2 months short of his 90th birthday 1899. It’s of note though that his younger medical brother in Northampton died in 1879, the year after Richard Faircloth’s retirement, and had become a paper manufacturer – presumably a side-line to his medical activities, since the Medical Directory lists him as Senior Physician at Northampton General Infirmary etc.

Regarding contemporaries, Richard Faircloth would have seen the precipitous end of Walter Norton’s practice in the 1830s (see The Edwards-Norton-Taylor-Kendall-Thomas-Bullen chain). Having set up his practice in Newmarket in the 1830s, apparently as a new venture, he was just like Robert Fyson and Frederick Page who did the same in that decade, all about the same age, essentially replacing the Norton practice, although there was a brief overlap. The only other practice in town at that time was Robert Peck’s, already long established. Richard Faircloth would have seen Robert Fyson joined by Samuel Gamble in the 1840s, then replaced by Ernest Last Fyson in the 1870s, Frederick Page move away to be succeeded by George Borwick Mead in the 1850s, and Robert Peck joined then succeeded by his son Floyd Minter Peck, followed by William Henry Day in the 1850s, Frederick Clement Gray in the 1860s, then Clement Frederick Gray in the 1870s.

 

Image sources and acknowledgements:-

Image 1: From the Fellows Photograph Album 2, page 15, reference RCS-MEM 32 (cropped); image ©, reproduced with kind permission of the Archives of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Image 2: From Peter Norman’s Collection; image reproduced with kind permission of Peter Norman.

Note: see comments regarding images and copyright © etc. on the Usage &c. page as well. 

Relevant references in chronological order

1809, 14th May: Richard, son of Richard and Rebeca (sic) Faircloth born, baptised 18th June, Shenley, Hertfordshire. Reference: Online image of the Shenley parish register held at the Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies Library, www.findmypast.co.uk (accessed 23rd March 2018). [Note: obviously this is listed on 18th June.]

1812, 14th July: John Marlborough Cowell, son of Richard and Rebecca Faircloth born, baptised 7th August 1814, Hornsey parish at the Chapel of Highgate, Middlesex. Reference: Online image of the Hornsey parish at the Chapel of Highgate parish register held at the London Metropolitan Archives, ancestry.co.uk (accessed 23rd March 2018). [Note: obviously this is listed on 7th August 1814.], [Note also, John Marlborough Cowell Faircloth appears in Plarr’s lives of the Fellows (see other sources consulted below) as does Richard, them both obtaining FRCS. John trained in Northampton and Guy’s like Richard. He became a physician in Northampton – and despite being a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons he also became a member of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP), so he was very well qualified indeed – and he had an MD! – see also his 1836 LSA records below.]

1814, 7th July: George, son of Richard and Rebecca Faircloth born, baptised 7th August 1814, Hornsey parish at the Chapel of Highgate, Middlesex. Reference: Online image of the Hornsey parish at the Chapel of Highgate parish register held at the London Metropolitan Archives, ancestry.co.uk (accessed 23rd March 2018). [Note: obviously this is listed on 7th August 1814.], [Note also, in this record, and the one above (note the baptism was on the same day) their father is described as a clerk. Often this would mean a church minister, but I have not been able to find any evidence of that, so perhaps he was an administrative clerk of some form.]

1831, 8th December: Richard Faircloth passed the LSA examination, ‘son of Mr. Richard Faircloth of St. Albans Herts’, baptised 18th June 1809. It records that he was apprenticed to ‘Mr. James Mash of Northampton’, ‘APOTHECARY for five Years’, with an indenture dated 15th July 1826 and his hospital training having been 7 months at Guys Hospital. He’s recorded as having attended lectures in chemistry, materia medica and therapeutics, anatomy and physiology, anatomical demonstrations, the principles and practice of medicine, clinical medicine and midwifery. Reference: Court of Examiners Candidates’ Qualification Entry Book, The Society of Apothecaries Archives, Apothecaries’ Hall, Black Friars Lane, London EC4V 6EJ. [Note: see 1836 below to compare with his brother’s LSA examination records.]

1833, 4th February: Mr Richard Faircloth was one of five ‘Candidates for the Vacant Office of House Apo-thecary and Surgeon’ at the Suffolk General Hospital in Bury St Edmunds. Reference: The Bury and Norwich Post. Wednesday Feb 6 1833: 3. [Note: in the event, one of the other candidates was appointed, i.e. Mr. William Ward (240 votes), but Richard Faircloth was a close second at 214 votes, with the others receiving 38, 11 and unspecified. It’s also of interest that this post had arisen due to the resignation of Mr. Pyman (i.e. presumably Francis Charles Pyman, the former assistant of Robert James Peck, who got the job in 1828 – see the page on Robert James Peck for details). Reference: The Bury and Norwich Post. Wednesday Feb 20 1833: 3.], [Note also, Mr Pyman resigned because he had ‘accepted an appointment in the India Service. Reference: The Bury and Norwich Post. Wednesday Jan 16 1833: 3.]

1835, 18th September: ‘R. Faircloth, Stowmarket’ signatory to ‘EASTERN PROVINCIAL Medical & Surgical Association. We, the undersigned, feeling that it is desirable to establish a Society of the above denomination, request those GENTLEMEN of the FACULTY, residing in the counties of NORFOLK, ESSEX, and SUFFOLK, and also in CAMBRIDGESHIRE, LINCOLNSHIRE, and HUNTINGDONSHIRE, who are willing to promote the measure, to meet at the ANGEL INN, BURY ST. EDMUND’s, at One o’clock, on FRIDAY, the 25th day of September instant, for the purpose of setting on foot the said Society.’ Reference: Cambridge Chronicle and Journal. Friday Sept 18 1835: 3. [Note: there is no evidence other than this that Richard Faircloth was ever in Stowmarket. More likely this is a typo for Newmarket, and therefore the first reference to him being in Newmarket. The same document has the initials of Robert Peck and Andrew Ross incorrect too, and places Charles Robert Bree in Newmarket, which is likely also incorrect, since he was based in Stowmarket.]

1836, 11th March: ‘Richard Faircloth of Newmarket Surgeon’ elected as medical officer to district 7 of the newly formed Newmarket Union (there were seven districts, not defined). Reference: 611/11, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1836, 9th September: The Newmarket Union medical districts were redefined and reduced to five from seven ‘having regard to the residence of the Medical Officers’. Richard Faircloth was not allocated a division, so at this point he ceased to be an officer of the Newmarket Union for a while. Reference: 611/11, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: Newmarket All Saints’, where Richard Faircloth lived, was part of the ‘Cheveley District’ (No 3), which went to Walter Norton and John Thomas.]

1836, 6th October: John Marlborough Cowell Faircloth passed the LSA examination, ‘son of Mr. Richd Faircloth of St. Albans gentleman’, baptised 7th August 1814. It records that he was apprenticed to ‘Mr. James Mash of Northampton’, ‘APOTHECARY for 5 Years’, with an indenture dated 30th December 1829 and his hospital training having been 12 months at Guys Hospital. Reference: Court of Examiners Candidates’ Qualification Entry Book, The Society of Apothecaries Archives, Apothecaries’ Hall, Black Friars Lane, London EC4V 6EJ.

1837, 10th March: The Newmarket Union medical districts were redefined again, this time from five to six districts. Richard Faircloth was allocated District 6, which comprised Newmarket All Saints’, Woodditton, Stetchworth, Dullingham, Borough Green, Brinkley and Westley Waterless. Reference: 611/11, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: Cheveley was taken from District 5 and added to District 6 on 20th March 1838, which was then referred to as the Cheveley District as opposed to District 2 referred to as the Newmarket District (611/12).]

1837, 18th April: Richard Faircloth appointed Registrar to the Cheveley District of the Newmarket Union. Reference: 611/11, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: he resigned from this post in the minutes of 17th September 1839 (in 611/13).]

1837, 21st November: The death of Mr Norton ‘Medical officer of district 2 and surgeon to the workhouse’ noted in the Newmarket Union minutes and that the posts be advertised. Reference: 611/12, Newmarket Union Minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1837, 5th December: ‘Mr Richard Faircloth was elected surgeon to the Union House’. Reference: 611/12, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: Mark Bullen, successor to Walter Norton, was appointed to District 2], [Note also, this role required daily attendance at the workhouse, evidenced by a requirement to sign in daily noted in the minutes of 12th November 1839 (in 611/13), however, in 1855 Richard Faircloth noted that the regulations in 1845 had been to attend three times per week (16th March 1855 – 611/20), which was the case (8th July 1845 – 611/16).]

1839: ‘Faircloth Richard, High st’ listed under ‘Surgeons & Apothecaries’ in ‘Newmarket and Neighbourhood’ Cambridgeshire. Reference: Pigot and Co.’s royal national and commercial directory and topography of the counties of Bedford, Cambridge, Essex, Herts, Huntingdon, Kent, Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey and Sussex… . London & Manchester: J. Pigot & Co.; 1839, pg 65. [Note: Bullen Mark Edmund [sic], High st, Fyson Robert, High St, Page Frederick, High St, and Peck Robert James, High St are listed separately.]

1839: ‘Faircloth Richard’ listed under ‘surgeons’ in Newmarket, Cambridgeshire. Reference: Robson’s royal court guide and peerage, with the commercial directory of London and the six counties forming the Norfolk circuit, viz. Beds, Bucks, Cambridgeshire, Hunts, Norfolk, and Suffolk:… . London: William Robson & Co.; 1839, pg 48. [Note: Bullen Mark, Fyson Robert, Page Frederick and Peck Robert James are listed separately.], [Note also, see the page on Frederick Page for an image.]

1839, 2nd April: The medical officers of Cheveley and Boro Green (i.e. Richard Faircloth – see March 1837 above) were tasked with vaccinating ‘the paupers therein… the smallpox having broken out’. Reference: 611/12, Newmarket Union Minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1839, 28th July: ‘Mr. Faircloth of Newmarket’, together with ‘Mr. Robinson of Haverhill’ attended a patient who died within a few hours of a road traffic accident at Keddington. Reference: The Cambridge Independent Press. Saturday Aug 3 1839: 3. [Note: presumably this was Kedington in Suffolk (near Haverhill) rather than Keddington in Lincolnshire.], [Note also, obviously this was some sort of horse drawn vehicle – a wheel is mentioned.]

1840, 7th July: ‘NEWMARKET MEDICAL PROVIDENT CLUB… plan for a medical Provident Club… the objects of which institution are to benefit equally the Labouring Classes and the Parishes, by enabling the former to procure medical assistance and medicines at a smaller expense, and with greater facility than they can possibly do by any other means, and to diminish to the latter the payments for medical bills to which they are now subject. / The DUKE of RUTLAND was unanimously called to the chair… / A series of resolutions, requisite for the formation of the society was read; which were carried unanimously  [gap]  After which the honorary secretary, R. Faircloth, Esq., announced to the meeting that the Duke of Rutland had opened the subscription with a donation…’ Reference: Cambridge Chronicle and Journal. Saturday Jul 18 1840: 3. [Note: it’s interesting that the Newmarket Union changed the time of their Board meeting so that they could attend this event (see the Newmarket Union page for full reference and some details about the possibility of some similar clubs that preceded this one). Reference: 611/13, Newmarket Union Minutes from meeting on 30th June 1840, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).]

1841, 23rd March: In another reorganisation of the Newmarket Union ‘it was resolved that Mr Faircloth be continued in the Office of Surgeon to this House [i.e. workhouse]… and that the appointment be considered permanent during good behaviour’. Reference: 611/13, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: his behaviour was considered good, since he continued in this role until 1868 – see below.]

1841, 6th June: Richard Faircloth, aged 30, surgeon, living with Francis Beard, aged 25, ‘surgeon assistant’, Susan Faircloth, aged 20, spinster (presumably a relative, likely his sister), and three servants, living in Newmarket All Saints’ parish on the High Street. Reference: The National Archives, 1841 census. [Note: Francis Carr Beard later worked in London and gained an FRCS qualification, like Richard Faircloth. Interestingly he was Charles Dickens doctor! (see the Plarr’s reference in the other sources consulted below).], [Note also, one of the servants (a man of the right age and name) possibly died as an old man in 1884 having been run over by a coal cart, mentioned on the page about the Rous Memorial Hospital.]

1841, 6th December: Richard Faircloth wrote to the Newmarket Union Board of Guardians regarding overcrowding in the womens’ section of the workhouse, which he believed was endangering the health of the ‘inmates’. Reference: 611/14, Newmarket Union Minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: this is in the 14th December minutes. There was another letter from him on this subject in January 1842, and it was decided to use the Board Room as a dormitory.]

1842, 22nd February: The ‘surgeon of the workhouse’ (i.e. Richard Faircloth) certified someone to be ‘insane and violent’ so she was taken to an asylum. Reference: 611/14, Newmarket Union Minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: there are many similar examples over the decades recorded in the minutes, ‘removed’ to various asylums, including ‘Bethnal Green asylum’ otherwise known as ‘St Lukes Hospital’, Hoxton House Asylum, also in London, ‘the Suffolk Lunatic asylum at Melton’ and the Cambridgeshire asylum – click here for more on asylums.]

1842, 15th March: In a letter in the minutes regarding remuneration, Richard Faircloth revealed that out of typically 240 ‘inmates’ in the workhouse in a given week, on average 35 were defined as ‘permanently sick’ and his work involved ‘severely acute diseases others of the chronic form… medicines and appliances’ daily visits ‘and frequently twice in the day (in dangerous illnesses)’. It notes that his work also included midwifery cases. Reference: 611/14, Newmarket Union Minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1842, 19th April: ‘Mr Richard Faircloth of Newmarket all saints’ was elected to cover District 2 of the Newmarket Union, the districts having been reorganised again (see the page on the Newmarket Union for these frequent early re-organisations) – he now covered Brinkley, Borough Green, Westley Waterless, Dullingham, Stetchworth and Snailwell. Reference: 611/14, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: the workhouse medical officer role did not require re-election, Richard Faircloth having been appointed to that role on a permanent basis earlier – see 23rd March 1841 and noted in the 15th March 1842 reference above too.], [Note also, subsequent correspondence reveals that initially the Poor Law Commissioners expressed reservations about someone holding two roles, but eventually they accepted this. Frederick Page lost out on the role as a result.]

1842, 24th October: ‘Mr. Faircloth, surgeon, of Newmarket’ attended a patient with ‘rupture of blood vessel in the stomach’, recurrent haemorrhage, ‘faintings’ and ‘fits of syncope’. Unfortunately the account doesn’t specify what he tried. Reference: The Cambridge Independent Press. Saturday Oct 29 1839: 4.

1843, May: Richard Faircloth took over the care of a patient initially attended to by Floyd Peck, who lived next door to where the incident requiring medical attention happened, which is presumably why he was first on the scene, but likely Richard Faircloth was his usual medical practitioner. See the page on Floyd Peck for details. Reference: The Cambridge Independent Press. Saturday May 13 1843: 2. [Note: this was an interesting case of blood-letting by Floyd Peck.]

1843, 4th July: An inmate of the workhouse ‘labouring under the disease of the Itch having refused to submit to the treatment of the Surgeon [i.e. Richard Faircloth] was ordered to be discharged from the House’. Reference: 611/15, Newmarket Union Minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: it’s interesting but perhaps not surprising that patients could be forcibly discharged for non-compliance with treatment.]

1843, 3rd October: At the ‘general annual meeting’ of the ‘Newmarket Provident and self-aiding Medical Society’, chaired by the Duke of Rutland, Mr. Faircloth as the Hon. Secretary read a report, which included, ‘“It is hoped, therefore, that an institution so based, and having for its object, under God’s blessing, the amelioration of the con-dition of the poor, and the cultivation of habits of industry, honesty, and independence amongst the labourers, will obtain the sanction and increasing support of all, who have a kindly feeling towards their poorer, though honest and industrious, neighbours; and that, by their contributions and influence amongst their fellow-men, they will aid this charitable design, thus testifying their readiness to turn to account the talents entrusted to them by their beneficent Creator, and proving their desire to follow the Divine maxim, ‘Bear ye one another’s burthens [sic]’ [this is a quote from the King James Bible, which reads, ‘Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ’(Galatians 6:3)]”… The Rev. H. Tasker “begged to be allowed to notice, in the most forcible manner, the obligation the society were under to their worthy Secretary, Mr. Faircloth, who had devoted so much time and attention to the interests of the society”’. Reference: Cambridge Chronicle and Journal. Saturday Oct 07 1843: 4. [Note: see also the March 1844 national journal article below, obviously about the same organisation, and the October 1848 reference below also.]

1844, 23rd March: In a letter to the Provincial Medical Journal (a forerunner of the BMJ) about Poor Law medical relief, Richard Faircloth, along with other medical officers of the Newmarket Union, mentioned in passing ‘In the Independent Labourer’s Medical Club, esta-blished in this district under the benevolent patronage and high sanction of the Duke of Rutland, the Mar-quis of Bute, and other influential persons of the neighbourhood, members have the privilege of select-ing their own doctor, and apply for his assistance at any time when they feel to require it’. Reference: Provincial Medical Journal and Retrospect of the Medical Sciences 1844;7(182):493

1844, 30th July: ‘The Medical Officer [i.e. Richard Faircloth] reported that at present there was no case of measles in the House [i.e. workhouse] but he recommended that the suspension of the General prohibitory Order in the cases of Children applying for relief who may not have had the Complaint should be continued another week or two less the seeds of infection should not yet be quite eradicated’. Reference: 611/16, Newmarket Union Minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: out relief was given instead, and the same was done for a smallpox outbreak later in the year – for adults as well as children (there are later examples of the same procedure). After that outbreak, the master of the workhouse was ordered ‘to avoid the use of the wards lately occupied by the small pox patients, to air, lime wash, and sprinkle the floor with chloride of lime’ 3rd December minutes (611/16)].

1847: ‘FAIRCLOTH, RICHARD, New-market, Cambridge – Gen. Pract.; M.R.C.S. 1832; L.S.A. 1831.’ Reference: The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1847. [Note: this was the first edition with a provincial section.]

1847: As the Medical Officer, Richard Faircloth was involved in discussions regarding plans to enlarge the workhouse. Reference: 611/17, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: such discussions were a regular feature in the minutes whenever improvements or extensions etc. were discussed.]

1847, 26th January: Attended a ‘PAINLESS OPERATION UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF AETHER’ at the Suffolk General Hospital. Reference: The Bury and Norwich Post. Wednesday Jan 27 1847: 2. [Note: click here for more details.]

1847, 23rd February: ‘Upon the Medical Officer of the parish of Stetchworth [i.e. Richard Faircloth] stating that a fever raged in the parish and recommending a Hospital to be provided for the patients to prevent its spreading… it was resolved that a temporary Hospital be provided in the parish of Stetchworth for paupers affected with fever and… the Relieving Officer was ordered to find a proper Building for that purpose’. Reference: 611/17, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1847, 31st August: ‘A certificate signed by Mr Robt Fyson and Mr Richd Faircloth, two Medical Officers of the Union, pointing out the pestilential condition of a certain building at Snailwell’. Reference: 611/17, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1848, 16th June: Mr. Faircloth of Newmarket attended a meeting in Bury St Edmunds of the Suffolk Branch of the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association, and presented a case report. This was about a patient who had suffered a severe ankle fracture in a riding accident (a compound fracture dislocation according to the description). He reduced the fracture dislocation, closed the wound with ‘three or four stitches and plaster, a com-press of lint was placed over them, covered with oiled silk, confined with a turn or two of the bandage, and the whole secured in Macintyre’s splint.’ The patient ran a fever and ‘took salines and aperients, &c., as required… The treat-ment was persevered in, the wound being dressed still with dry lint under oiled silk, as often as necessary until about 14 days, and the splint itself was of course re-applied. This was done continually until about seven weeks from the date of the accident, when it was discarded, and an inside wooden splint with foot-piece substituted for it, and a bread poultice employed. At the expiration of another week this support was removed, the limb bandaged, (a pad of lint only, being used for dressing) and a stirrup of paste-board passed under the foot, and continued up either side of the leg.’ He also mentions ‘The wound was touched with sulphate of copper from time to time’. The account then describes gradual increased mobility and weight bearing, and almost a year after the injury the situation was reported as ‘Walks well with a stick, frequently without one; the limb is nearly an inch shorter than the opposite one. Flexion and extension movements of joint increase’. An opinion was expressed that ‘the result of injuries to the ankle-joint in country practice without amputa-tion was most encouraging’. Reference: Provincial Medical and Surgical Journal 1848;12(14):383-387. [Note: this journal was a forerunner of the BMJ.], [Note also, the case appears to have been from 1847, although presented in 1848.]

1848, 3rd October: ‘The general annual meeting of the Newmarket Provident Society, and self-aiding Medical Club, was held on Tuesday last at the Rutland Arms; the following members were pre-sent – his Grace the Duke of Rutland, President of the so-ciety, occupied the chair… / the noble Chairman called upon the honorary Secretary, Mr. Faircloth… /  “eighth annual report… In the Medical Club, 3706 have, during the past year, testi-fied their sense of its benefits by enrolling themselves as members… 159 poor married women have been attended in their confinements [i.e. pregnancies] by the doctor of their own choice; and within the same period 11 persons have received prompt and efficient aid, from their surgeon, under the painful accident of a broken limb… other benefits besides sick-pay are insured for, such as pensions, burial money, &c.,…”’ Reference: Cambridge Chronicle and Journal. Saturday Oct 07 1848: 2.

1849, 13th May: ‘Mr Tudor, the assistant of Mr Faircloth, the Medical Officer’ mentioned during the investigation by the Board of Guardians of a complaint. Reference: 611/18, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: it’s not known who this was, there not being an obvious Tudor in the Medical Directory.]

1850, 9th August: ‘A certificate signed by Mr Faircloth and Mr Fyson, two Medical Officers of the Union, stating that upon certain premises situate in the parish of Newmarket All Saints [sic]… there is a foul and offensive Drain constructed so as to be a nuisance’. Reference: 611/18, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: aside from the August 1847 reference above, there are various other similar entries to this regarding public health ‘nuisances’ being reported and subsequently dealt with by the authorities.]

1851: ‘BUCK, BENJAMIN, Newmarket, – Gen. Pract.; M.R.C.S. Eng. 1848; L.S.A. 1848.’ Reference: The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1851. [Note: see census below – he is not in the directories before this, in London or the provinces, but might have been overseas? He was in Newmarket in the 1852 directory, but after that does not appear in any directories until interestingly there is a Benjamin Buck in the obituaries section of the 1860 directory ‘Surgeon and Coroner of the Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand’. So it seems likely that he emigrated to New Zealand in 1852/3.]

1851, 30th/31st March: Richard Faircloth, aged 41, ‘surgeon + apothecary’, born in London Colney, Herts, living with Benjamin Buck, aged 25, a fully qualified assistant (MRCS, LSA), and four servants, in Newmarket All Saints’ parish on the High Street. Reference: The National Archives, 1851 census. [Note: see the Medical Directory entry above for Benjamin Buck.]

1851, 8th August: ‘A letter was read from Mr. Faircloth, the Medical Officer of the Workhouse, pointing out the necessity of providing Water Cushions and Mattresses for the Hospital of the Workhouse’ including the immediate need for a water mattress for a patient suffering from ‘excoriation and sloughing’. Reference: 611/19, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: they subsequently ordered two cushions and a mattress.]

1852, July: Mr Bay(e)s, assistant to Mr Faircloth the workhouse medical officer, involved with a case from the workhouse who had died from apoplexy (a stroke), but suffered from scalding caused by putting the patient into a hot bath as an attempt at treatment. Reference: 611/19, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). Also reported in: The Bury and Norwich Post. Wednesday Jul 07 1852: 3. [Note: entries regarding this case appear in the 9th, 16th and 30th July Newmarket Union minutes.], [Note also, it’s not clear yet who Mr Bay(e)s was, there not being an obvious candidate in the Medical Directory at this time, but there was a Frederick William Hart Bayes MRCS and LSA 1851 listed in London in the Medical Registers from 1859, later in Walsingham, Norfolk, who was possibly him.], [Note also, his name is spelt Bays in the Newmarket Union minutes but Bayes in the newspaper report.]

1853: ‘FAIRCLOTH, RICHD., Newmarket, Cambr. – M.R.C.S. Eng. 1832; F.R.C.S. 1852; L.S.A. 1831.’ Reference: The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1853. [Note: this is the first mention of his FRCS qualification, obtained the year before.]

1853, 8th April: Richard Faircloth wrote to the Board of Guardians suggesting that poor sanitation was a health hazard in the overcrowded sick wards at the workhouse, even contributing to some deaths. Reference: 611/20, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: the matter was subsequently referred to the District Local Board of Health.], [Note also, there were further comments later in the minutes regarding overcrowding in the workhouse flagged up by Richard Faircloth as the medical officer.]

1853, 11th November: Following a railway accident at Kentford, in which someone stumbled trying to get onto a moving train and ‘the engine and several loaded waggons passed over his foot and ankle, literally crushing the bones… the attendance of Mr. Faircloth, and other medical gentlemen, was obtained, and it was found necessary to amputate the limb between the knee and ankle. The operation was most skilfully and expeditiously performed by Mr. Faircloth, whilst the patient was under the influence of chloroform, the won-derful effects of which were proved by [the patient] being unconscious that the operation had been performed, until the fact was communicated to him, after the effects of the chloroform had passed away.’ Reference: The Bury and Norwich Post. Wednesday Nov 16 1853: 2. [Note: it’s interesting the way the word unconscious is used in this account – subtly different from its modern use.]

1854, 7th April: ‘A letter from Mr. Faircloth was read reporting the admission into the House [i.e. the workhouse] of 3 persons infected with small pox all of them coming from Soham and suggesting precautionary measures for the sanitary improvement of the several parishes in anticipation of the return of cholera.’ Reference: 611/20, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1854, 29th September: ‘The following change in the Dietary of the House [i.e. the workhouse]… upon the certificate of the Medical Officer… “1 pint and a half of Gruel for Breakfast daily for the Old Men, and that a Dinner of Meat the same as on Sunday be substituted for cheese on Tuesday for the whole of the inmates” (signed) “Richard Faircloth”’. Reference: 611/20, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: there are other examples of the medical officer being involved with diet.], [Note also, the ‘(signed)’ is in the original, and in round brackets – it’s not my comment.] 

1854, 8th December: ‘Mr Richard Innes his assistant’ and Mr F. M. Peck appointed substitute to Mr Faircloth the workhouse medical officer in case of his absence or otherwise. Reference: 611/20, Newmarket Union Minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: on 15th December he withdrew this and nominated just Floyd Peck, so perhaps Richard Innes was an assistant for a very short time?], [Note also, it’s not clear yet who Richard Innes was, there not being an obvious candidate in the Medical Directory.]

1855: ‘Faircloth Richard’ listed under ‘Surgeons’ in Newmarket. Reference: HISTORY, GAZETTEER, AND DIRECTORY OF SUFFOLK…; Sheffield: William White; 1855, pg 820. [Note: Fyson & Gamble, Fyson Robert, Page Frederick and Peck Floyd M are listed separately.], [Note also, Richard Faircloth has so many references that I have limited the number of trade directory references to two towards the start of his career (1839), this one in the middle, and one towards the end (1874).]

1855, 16th March: In another letter in the minutes regarding remuneration, Richard Faircloth described his role: ‘I consider the duties of Medical Officer to the Workhouse to consist in providing medicine & attendance for such of the inmates as fall sick within the walls of the House, and to give the necessary assistance also to such casual poor (carried to the Workhouse) who may be in a state of sickness & destitution & having neither home nor friends.’ He reported the average number of permanent sick to be 44 at this time and that in the previous 6 months there had been 71 patients sent in because they were sick. He described himself or his assistant sometimes attending several times per day and one of them having attended the workhouse at least 400 times in the preceding 12 months. Reference: 611/20, Newmarket Union Minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1856, 25th July: Richard Faircloth used ‘surgical skill’ in a case of compound fracture of the skull. Reference: 611/21, Newmarket Union Minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: unfortunately it’s not recorded what he actually did.]

1858, 10th September: ‘Mr. Faircloth… named his Assistant Mr. William Hickman… his substitute in case of absence…’ Referernce: 611/22, Newmarket Union Minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: William Hickman’s first appearance in the Medical Directory was in 1860 in UCL London but with a * indicating that he had not returned his details, his MRCS noted to be from 1858 and LSA 1859. However, in the first Medical Register of 1859 his address is given as Newmarket, with another William Hickman on the next line with a UCL address and same years of qualifications – so this appears to be duplication by mistake, which interestingly persists right through to 1878 in Newmarket, oddly the year of Richard Faircloth’s retirement. The Medical Directory does not have the same duplication error. Interestingly William Hickman obtained an FRCS in 1861, so appears in Plarr’s lives of the Fellows (see other sources consulted below with link).]

1859, 29th July: Fortnightly reports were requested from Richard Faircloth by the Poor Law Board regarding ‘the progress of the skin disease in the workhouse’. Reference: 611/22, Newmarket Union Minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: there are other entries regarding skin disease in other years too.]

1860, 19th October: ‘Mr. Faircloth the Medical Officer of the Workhouse’ issued a certificate ‘in regard to Bodily health and strength’ for a 14 year old from Isleham to be apprenticed to a Newmarket Trainer for 7 years. Reference: 611/22, Newmarket Union Minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1860, 27th December: ‘Commissions signed by the Lord Lieutenant of the County of Cambridge. / 1st Cambridgeshire Mounted Rifle Volunteers. / Richard Faircloth, Esq., to be Honorary Surgeon’. Reference: The London Gazette. January 25 1861; Issue 22474: 277.

1861, 7/8th April: Richard Faircloth, aged 51, ‘Surgeon in Gen. Practice’ with qualifications listed, born in London Colney, Herts, with David Bowen, aged 22, a qualified assistant (MRCS), and two servants, living in Newmarket All Saints’ parish on the High Street. Reference: The National Archives, 1861 census. [Note: David Bowen is in The Medical Directory for 1861 with the address Llys-y-fran in Wales, but with a * denoting that he had not returned the annual circular – he passed his MRCS in 1859. The same is the case in 1862, although without the *, perhaps denoting that he regarded Lly-y-fran as his correspondence address (which is where he was born according to the census)? However, in 1863 his entry changed to Newmarket, which it remained until 1867, when it changed to Newport, Wales (see the October 1866 Newmarket Union reference below).]

1863, 5th June: ‘Mr. David Bowen, surgeon, assistant to Mr. Faircloth’ gave evidence in a case of sudden death thought to be due to natural causes: recurrent chest symptoms followed by sudden death during an episode. Reference: The Bury and Norwich Post. Tuesday Jun 9 1863: 8.

1866, 1st September: ‘Mr. Price, assistant to Mr. Faircloth, of Newmarket’ mentioned attending a patient who died from being crushed by a tumbril. Reference: The Cambridge Chronicle and University Journal. Saturday Sept 1 1866: 5. [Note: a tumbril is a type of cart – in this case being used to go to a field.], [Note also, see September 1867 below, by which time he had left Newmarket.]

1866, 2nd October: ‘A Testimonial to the Guardians of Cardigan Union in favor [sic] of Mr. David Bowen late assistant to Mr Faircloth Medical Officer of the Workhouse and no. 2 District of the Union who is a candidate for the Office of Medical Officer of the Newport District of that Union was granted under the seal of the Board.’ Reference: 611/25, Newmarket Union Minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1867, 3nd September: ‘A Testimonial to the Guardians of Kettering Union in favour of Mr. John Lowe Price late assistant to Mr. Faircloth Medical Officer of the workhouse and No.2 District of the Union who is a candidate for the Office of Medical Officer in that Union was granted under the seal of the Board.’ Reference: 611/25, Newmarket Union Minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: John Lowe Price (!) qualified MRCS 1864 and LSA 1865; his first appearance in the Medical Directory was in 1866 in Kettering, where he was in 1867 too, and for decades thereafter. His Medical Register entries mirror this. He was with Richard Faircloth in 1866 – see September above.]

1867, 14th November: ‘Mr. Poole Field, surgeon, assistant to Mr. Faircloth’ gave evidence in a case of sudden death thought to be due to heart disease. Reference: The Bury and Norwich Post. Tuesday Nov 19 1867: 8. [Note: Poole Field MRCS 1857 was in the Medical Register for 1867 with a London address, having registered on 12th December 1866, so about a decade after his qualification. He doesn’t appear in the Medical Directory until 1869, with the same London address. In the Medical Register he gives the London address from 1867 to 1871, when it changes to Thorney, Peterborough. He can be found on the 1871 census as assistant in the household of a ‘General Practitioner’ called Thomas Chas Spyers in Faversham, Kent.]

1868, 19th May: ‘A letter from Mr. Richard Faircloth resigning the Office of Public Vaccinator for the second District of the Union…’ Reference: 611/26, Newmarket Union Minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: before this there was correspondence between Richard Faircloth and the Board regarding an issue in relation to the Vaccination Act of 1867. It seems that he might have resigned as a result of some disagreement with the Board about that, the details of which are unclear. The post was advertised with no applicants and after further discussions he was reappointed on 14th July. Subsequent to that his vaccination contract appears to have been dealt with separately from that of the others in the Union.]

1868, 9th June: ‘A letter from Mr. Richard Faircloth resigning the Office of Medical Officer for the Workhouse…’ Reference: 611/26, Newmarket Union Minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1868, 23rd June: Dr G. B. Mead elected Medical Officer to the Workhouse and it was minuted ‘Upon the retirement of Mr. Richard Faircloth from the Office of Medical Officer to the Union Workhouse the Guardians… unanimously res-olved to record on the minutes of their proceedings their appreciation of the very valuable services rendered by Mr. Faircloth in the attentive and skilful discharge of his duties, his uniform kindness to the sick poor under his charge, and his respectful and courteous demeanour towards the Board during the time he has held the appointment = a period of upwards of 30 years’. Reference: 611/26, Newmarket Union Minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1869, 7th September: ‘Upon the application of Mr. Faircloth Public Vaccinator District No. 2 the days fixed for that Officers attendance for Vaccination and Inspection at the respective Stations in his District were subject to approval of the Poor Law Board altered from the “last” days of April and October to the “first” days of May and November in every year and the Clerk was directed to prepare a fresh contract accordingly’. Reference: 611/26, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: the reason for this odd change is not specified, but it gives us a handy insight into how these things were organised. A similar regimen is described with Clement Gray in 1879.], [Note also, a further minute from 1870 (30th August – 611/27) reveals that the Stations were ‘the School Room’ in Borough Green, Brinkley and Dullingham, and ‘the Vestry Room’ in Snailwell, Stetchworth and Westley – also showing that District 2 was unchanged since 1842.]

1870: ‘WING, CHARLES E., Newmarket, Cambs – L.R.C.P. Edin. 1869; M.R.C.S. Eng. 1868; L.S.A. 1869; (Guy’s).’ Reference: The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1870. [Note: this was his first appearance in the Medical Directory where he remained listed in Newmarket until 1877, working and living with Richard Faircloth (see the 1871 census and other examples below) after which he moved to Bury St Edmunds – interestingly the same year that Richard Faircloth retired to London and John Rowland Wright partnered with Richard Faircloth and succeeded to his practice (see 1878 below).]

1871, February: Under Newmarket News, Mr C. E. Wing, surgeon, was reported as having attended a man who died from choking, ascertained by doing a post mortem examination. Reference: The Bury Free Press. Saturday Feb 18 1871: 10. [Note: in the 19th century it was normal practice for generalist medics to perform post mortems when their patients died – see the numerous examples on other pages of this website.]

1871, 2nd/3rd April: Richard Faircloth, aged 61, ‘Genl Medl Practitioner’, born in Shenley, Herts, with Charles Wing defined in the same way but as a ‘visitor’, aged 25, born in Bury St Edmunds, and three servants, living in Newmarket All Saints’ parish on the High Street. Reference: The National Archives, 1871 census. [Note: Charles Wing can be seen aged 5 on the 1851 census in Guildhall Street, Bury St Edmunds, in the household of his father Henry Wing a General Practitioner, but by the time of the 1861 census his mother Mary was the head of the household, a widow. On the 1881 census he was in Bury living with his sister Clara working as a General Practitioner in Guildhall Street – see 1878 below, although later he appears to have moved to London.]

1871, 30th June: ‘Mr. Faircloth, Newmarket’ attended the annual meeting of the East Anglian and Cambridge and Huntingdon branches of the British Medical Association at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, and seconded a resolution of thanks to retiring officials. Reference: The Norwich Mercury. Saturday Jul 8 1871: 5.

1872, 23rd May: Under Newmarket News, ‘Mr. C. E. Wing, surgeon, deposed that Mr. Faircloth had attended [the] deceased for epileptic fits for years. There was no doubt whatever she died from natural causes, and if either of them had been asked for a certificate they would have given one [i.e. presumably death certificate].’ Reference: The Bury Free Press. Saturday May 25 1872: 8. [Note: this shows not only continuity of care with Richard Faircloth, but that Charles Wing was familiar with his case load and could speak on his behalf about their patients.]

1872, 16th April: Under Newmarket News it was reported that ‘Mr. Rae, of this town, was engaged in mixing some nitric acid with another acid, one of the bottles suddenly burst, and he was seriously injured with the contents, being for a time quite insensible. Messrs. Faircloth and Wing were soon in attendance upon the sufferer, who is now going on favourably, though at one time it was feared he would lose sight in both eyes.’ Reference: The Norwich Mercury. Saturday Apr 20 1872: 7. [Note: interestingly this was presumably John Rae, a ‘Chemist & Druggist’ on the 1871 census in Newmarket High Street.]

1873, 27th May: Mr. Richard Faircloth recorded as caring for a ‘pauper’ from Westley ‘who for a period of three months has been under treatment for puerperal mania after confinement’. Reference: 611/28, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1874: ‘Faircloth Richard, surgeon, High street’ listed in Newmarket. Reference: History, gazetteer and directory of Suffolk… Sheffield: William White; 1874, pg 387. [Note: Gray Clement, surgeon, High street, Gray Frederick Clement, M.D. physician, High street, Fyson Robert, surgeon, High street, Mead George Borwick, M.D. surgeon, High street, and Wright John Rowland, surgeon, High street are listed separately.]

1874: ‘Mr. Fyson deposed to a scarcity of lymph while the small-pox raged, and was confirmed by his assistant, Mr. Wright… Mr. C. L. [sic] Wing, assistant to Mr. Faircloth, was ex amined [line break without hyphen] at this point on behalf of Dr. Mead, and spoke of the difficulty of getting good lymph.’ Reference: The Bury and Norwich Post. Tuesday Sept 8 1874: 6. [Note: this shows not only that Charles Wing was Richard Faircloth’s assistant, but also that at this stage John Rowland Wright was still working with Robert Fyson.], [Note also, this was part of a report regarding an investigation by the Newmarket Union into alleged problems with the way in which Dr Mead had vaccinated some patients and some other issues.]

1874, 29th September: Mr. Richard Faircloth recorded as caring for a patient from Dullingham ‘suffering from Dropsy.’ Reference: 611/28, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: this same case was mentioned in the minutes for 2 years.]

1875, August: ‘Faircloth (Newmarket)’ attended the annual meeting of the British Medical Association in Edinburgh. Reference: The Ipswich Journal. Saturday Aug 7 1875: 4.

1876, 28th October: Regarding an inquest in Stetchworth, it was reported regarding someone who died following an accidental head injury: ‘sent for the doctor… Charles Edward Wing, surgeon, of New-market, deposed… I dressed his wounds and attended him, with Mr. Faircloth, up to the time of his death. We both saw him on Friday evening in consultation, and Mr. Faircloth saw him on Saturday… I am of the opinion that the death was caused by the shock to the nervous system from the severe injuries received on his head and face.’ Reference: The Cambridge Independent Press. Saturday Oct 28 1876: 8. [Note: this again gives some insight into how they worked together, the limits of what they could do in such a case, and in this case both involved with the care of the same patient, on the Friday evening seeing him together, perhaps Richard Faircloth doing the weekend on call!]

1877, 28th August: A local government inspector questioned the use of deputies to perform vaccinations, including Charles Wing for Richard Faircloth in Dullingham. The Newmarket Union Board defended these vaccinations as having been ‘well performed by Mr. C. E. Wing a duly qualified person’, but this incident seems to have caused Richard Faircloth to decide to resign again from this role, although also he was soon to retire completely, presumably anyway – see below. Reference: 611/30, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: it’s possible that this incident played a part in Charles Wing deciding to leave for Bury too.]

1877, 11th September: ‘Mr John Rowland Wright was appointed Public Vaccinator of No. 2 District in the room of Mr Richard Faircloth resigned and a contract entered into upon the same terms as his predecessor…’ Reference: 611/30, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: this might be the point at which John Rowland Wright entered a handover partnership with Richard Faircloth’s – see below.]

1878: ‘WING, CHARLES EDWD., 71, Guildhall-st. Bury St. Edmunds – L.R.C.P. Edin. 1869; M.R.C.S. Eng. 1868; L.S.A. 1869; (Guy’s).’ Reference: The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1878. [Note: this was his first Bury entry in The Medical Directory. His Medical Register entry lags behind this by one year.]

1878: ‘FAIRCLOTH, RICHARD, Newmarket, Cambs – F.R.C.S. Eng. 1852, M. 1832; L.S.A. 1831; (Guy’s).’ Reference: The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1878. [Note: this was his last Newmarket entry in The Medical Directory (see 1879 below).]

1878: ‘WRIGHT, JOHN ROWLAND, Newmarket. Cambs (Faircloth and Wright) – M.R.C.S. Eng. 1871; (St. Mary’s); late House Surg. Male Lock Hosp. Lond.’ Reference: The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1878. [Note: his 1879 Medical Directory entry continued to mention ‘Faircloth and Wright’, even though Richard Faircloth had moved to London (see 1879 below), presumably to emphasise the continuity of the business. In 1880 his entry was the same, but marked with a *, indicating that it had not been updated, then in 1881 it was updated to ‘Wright and Hutchinson’ – see the pages on John Rowland Wright and Walter Hutchinson, including images on the page about John Rowland Wright.]

1878, 5th March: ‘A letter from Mr. Richard Faircloth Medical Officer of the second District of the Union tendering his resignation of that appointment was read. Upon the motion of the Chairman it was unanimously resolved that in accepting such resignation the clerk was directed to express to Mr. Faircloth the high sense of the Guardians of the valuable services rendered by him to the Board as well as to the poor under his charge during the very long period of forty years he has held office under them and of the uniform courtesy and urbanity which have characterised his intercourse with the members. That the Guardians hear with much concern that the retirement of Mr. Faircloth is rendered necessary by consideration of health and they trust that the rest which he will now enjoy may have the effect of speedily restoring him to health and prolonging his life.’ Reference: 611/30, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1878, 26th March: ‘Mr. John Rowland Wright of High Street Newmarket’ elected Medical Officer of District 2 ‘in the room of Mr. Richard Faircloth’. Reference: 611/30, Newmarket Union minutes, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).

1879: ‘FAIRCLOTH, RICHARD, South Lodge, Camp-den-hill, Kensington, W. – F.R.C.S. Eng. 1852, M. 1832; L.S.A. 1831; (Guy’s and N’hamp.).’ Reference: The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1879. [Note: this is his first London entry in the Medical Directory (see 1878 above); in the Medical Register his address changes from Newmarket to 3 Inverness Gardens in 1880 (see the 1881 census below), and in the Directory it changes to 3 Inverness Gardens in 1880 too – it’s not known whether this was in fact the same as South Lodge.], [Note also, obviously this is in the separate London section of the Directory.], [Note also, it’s interesting that he decided to include a reference to Northampton at this point?]

1879, 2nd September: Probate of John Marl-borough Cowell Faircloth of Northampton M.D ‘and carrying on the Business of a Paper Manufacturer’. Those who proved the will included ‘Richard Faircloth of 3 Inverness-gardens Kensington… the brother’. (His date of death was 21st July). Reference: Online image of National Probate Registry entry, ancestry.co.uk (accessed 5th April 2018).

1880: Richard Faircloth and Mrs Harrison listed at 3 Inverness Gardens, Kensington, in the London Post Office Directory (no occupation given). Reference: The Post Office London Directory for 1880. London: Kelly & Co.; 1880 (technically December 1879), pg 391. [Note: this is in the Street Directory section where occupations are given for many, so it would appear only those actively working in those occupations have that information recorded, implying that Richard Faircloth was retired, which would make sense. Likewise, he is not listed in the trades section where he would be under ‘surgeons’ on page 1846, or any other likely category. I have not been able to find any evidence in directories or newspaper reports etc. of him working as a medic in London.], [Note also, he is in the names index section too, on page 2088, but that section does not list occupations.]

1881, 3rd/4th April: Richard Faircloth, aged 71, ‘F.R.C.S. Eng; Genrl. Practitioner of medicine’, born in Colney Shenley, Herts, with Charlotte Harrison, aged 45, described as his ‘ward’ and an ‘artillery officer’s widow’, and three servants, living at 3 Inverness Gardens, Kensington, Chelsea. Reference: The National Archives, 1881 census. [Note: John Rowland Wright can been seen living in Richard Faircloth’s old house in Newmarket on this census, by comparing sequential census details – see the page on the next door Grosvenor House for details regarding how these houses can be identified. Charles Wing was with his sister in Bury – see 1871 above.]

1891, 5th/6th April: Richard Faircloth, aged 81, occupation unclear but includes qualification and surgeon and possibly an abbreviation for retired, born in London Colney, and two servants, living at 3 Inverness Gardens, Kensington, London. Reference: The National Archives, 1891 census.

1899, 11th March: Date of death of Richard Faircloth of 3 Inverness Gardens, Kensington, recorded in the national probate records. Reference: Online image of National Probate Registry entry, ancestry.co.uk (accessed 27th March 2018). [Note: the probate date was 24th March to a solicitor.]

1899: ‘FAIRCLOTH, RICHARD, 3, Inverness-gardens, Campden-hill, Kensington, W. – F.R.C.S. Eng. 1852, M. 1832; L.S.A. 1831; (Guy’s).’ Reference: The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1899. [Note: obviously this is in the separate London section.], [Note also, this is his last entry in the Medical Directory, except he appears in the obituary section of the 1900 edition as having died in 1899 aged 89, with no other details aside from his address and qualifications. Oddly there appears to be a space left for his date of death, not filled in.]

Some other sources consulted include:-

Newmarket Union Minutes 1836-1878. Reference: 611/11-30, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St. Edmunds). [Note: not all entries regarding Richard Faircloth in these minutes have been detailed above. There were well over 500 in total, so I have been quite selective. Those regarding routine payments are not included, but also I have not been able to include details about everything that happened in his four decades as an officer of the Union, three of them as the Workhouse Medical Officer, who obviously was frequently referred to in the minutes. Some references above contain summary statements about other similar entries.]

Plarr’s Lives of the Fellows Online. Faircloth, Richard (1810 – 1899). http://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/biogs/E001670b.htm (accessed 27th March 2018). [Note: there are also pages for John Marlborough Cowell Faircloth. http://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/biogs/E001669b.htm, Francis Carr Beard. http://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/biogs/E000794b.htm, and William Hickman. http://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/biogs/E002216b.htm.]

Shops History Newmarket. http://www.newmarketshops.info/index.html. [Note: newmarketshops.info has been supplied with information regarding the medical history of Newmarket by the author of talkingdust.net since August 2013 (see footnotes on some of the pages). Both websites continue to be developed, and in this sense are mutually symbiotic.]

Suffolk Medical Biographies. Profile for Faircloth, Richard. http://www.suffolkmedicalbiographies.co.uk/Profile.asp?Key=234 (originally accessed pre October 2013). [Note: at the time of writing (March/April 2018), this website had only five references relating to Richard Faircloth.], [Note also, my understanding that Charles Robert Bree (see 1835 above) was based in Stowmarket comes from this website’s, Profile for Bree, Charles Robert. http://www.suffolkmedicalbiographies.co.uk/Profile.asp?Key=970.], [Note also, see comments regarding this website on the Francis Greene page.] 

The Medical Directory. London: Churchill; 1847-1900. [Note: see above references for full 1847, 1853, 1878, 1879 and 1899 entries (and 1851 for Benjamin Buck, 1870 & 1878 for Charles Wing and 1878 for John Rowland Wright.], [Note also, this publication has been known by various titles over the years. Initially it just covered London, but from 1847 it had a wider remit, being variously known as the London and Provincial Medical Directory, The Medical Directories, The Medical Directory, etc., essentially the same work with minor variations and developments. It is usually referred to as The Medical Directory (as opposed to The Medical Register), so that is how it’s consistently referred to on talkingdust.net.]

The Medical Register. London: General Medical Council; 1859ff. [Note: this began in 1859.]

Note: For published material referenced on this website see the ‘Acknowledgements for resources of published material’ section on the ‘Usage &c.’ page. The sources used for original unpublished documents are noted after each individual reference. Any census records are referenced directly to The National Archives, since images of these are so ubiquitous on microfilm and as digital images that they almost function like published works. Census records are covered by the ‘Open Government Licence’ as should be other such public records (see the ‘Copyright and related issues’ section on the ‘Usage &c.’ page for which references constitute public records, and any other copyright issues more generally such as fair dealing/use etc.).