Thomas Searancke 3 is numbered like this because he was the third of three medical Thomas Searanckes practising in Newmarket during the 18th century, the son of Thomas Searancke 2. However, Thomas Searancke 3 did not practise long in Newmarket, and technically it seems he only practised as an apprentice to his father, before a change of tack and untimely death in his early 20s.
Thomas Searancke 3 was baptised at Newmarket on 13th February 1756, the son of Thomas Searancke 2 and Susanna(h) his wife (they’d had an earlier son Thomas baptised in 1752, who died in 1754). There appear to have been nine children in total (see the page on Thomas Searancke 2 for more details). His mother died in 1763 when Thomas was only about 7 years of age. There’s no evidence that his father remarried, and at least five of Thomas’ siblings were still alive at the time of their father’s will in 1785, so he must have grown up in a household that consisted of at least six children being brought up by his surgeon-apothecary father Thomas Searancke 2.
The start of Thomas Searancke 3’s apprenticeship to his father Thomas Searancke 2 of Newmarket, recorded at the Society of Apothecaries in London in 1770 (see below or click image for source and acknowledgements etc., ref. Image 1).
It appears that Thomas Searancke 3 was the eldest surviving son. He’s recorded as having been a pupil at King Edward VI Free Grammar School in Bury St Edmunds for 1 year (the actual year is not known). However, in 1770, when he would have been about 14 years of age, he’s recorded as being bound an apprentice to his father at the Society of Apothecaries in London (this was the normal age to start such an apprenticeship – see image on the right). His father had joined that organisation the same year, having passed their examination the year before. Perhaps he’d done this specifically with his son’s education in mind? It wasn’t necessary to be a member of the London Society of Apothecaries to practice at this time outside of London (it became compulsory in 1815 – see The history of medical treatments, training, qualifications and regulation for more details).
At that time an apprenticeship would normally have been for 7 years, but interestingly after less than 6 years, in 1776 aged 20, Thomas Searancke 3 was admitted to Gonville and Caius College at Cambridge University. He appears therefore perhaps not to have completed his apprenticeship. Certainly there is no further record of him at the London Society of Apothecaries with regards to examination or membership etc. This appears to have been a change of plan. Was he perhaps planning a medical degree and career as a university educated physician instead? Whatever the plan it didn’t work out, since he died the following year and was buried at Newmarket in February 1777, when he must have been about 21 years of age.
Image 1: From The Society of Apothecaries’ Apprentice Binding Book 1694-1836, reference MS 8207 (cropped); image ©, reproduced with kind permission of The Society of Apothecaries Archives, London. [Note: click here for a full transcription.]
Note: see comments regarding images and copyright © etc. on the Usage &c. page as well.
1752, 18th October: Tho son of Tho and Susannah Searanck baptised, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1754, 9th December: Thomas son of Thomas and Susannah Searancke buried, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1756, 13th February: Thomas son of Thomas and Susannah Searancke baptised, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1763, 3rd November: Susanna wife of Thomas Searancke buried, St Mary’s church, Newmarket: Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: the transcript of the Searancke memorials (on The Searanckes page, and others) gives her year of death as 1765, but clearly that is incorrect. Whether it’s the transcripts or the original stone that have the error on is not known, since the original stone is no longer visible, but the fact that two apparently independent transcripts have the same error suggests that the error is on the stone, or that the stone was damaged and poorly visible at this point.]
1770, 5th June: ‘Thomas Searancke having paid a Fine of £16-19:- and 40s. to the Garden was pursuant to an order of a court of assistants of the 16th Day of June last Examined approved Sworn and made Free by Redemption’. Reference: Freedom Admissions Book, The Society of Apothecaries Archives, Apothecaries’ Hall, Black Friars Lane, London EC4V 6EJ.
1770, 2nd July: ‘We Robert Longley and Thomas Searancke Members of the Society of apothecaries London in pursuance of the articles of agreement in Folio 1,2,3,4,5,6, of this Book and late Order of the Committee having severally paid into the stock therein mentioned the sum of Twenty Pounds do hereby consent and agree to the several covenants clauses payments constitutions and agreements in the said articles contained and do each of us doth for ourselves severally and for our several and respective Executors and adinors [abbreviation for Administrators] Covenant promise and agree to and with the master wardens and society of the art and mistery of apothecaries of the City of London and their successors well and truly to observe perform pay fulfill and keep all and singular the said covenants clauses payments constitutions and agreements according to the true intent and meaning thereof’. Reference: MS 8215, B/1/U/1, second (amended) Laboratory Stock Agreement Book 1767-75, The Society of Apothecaries Archives, Apothecaries’ Hall, Black Friars Lane, London EC4V 6EJ. [Note: see the page on Thomas Searancke 2 for an image of this.]
1770, 7th August: ‘Thomas Searancke Son of Thomas Searancke of Newmarket in the County of Cambridge apothecary bound to his said father’. Reference: Apprentice Binding Book 1694-1836, The Society of Apothecaries Archives, Apothecaries’ Hall, Black Friars Lane, London EC4V 6EJ. [Note: see image above.]
1777, 2nd February: Tho Searancke buried, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1785, 8th September: Will of Thomas Searancke of Newmarket in the County of Cambridge Surgeon (probate 20th February 1794). Reference: The National Archives, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, PROB 11/1242/107.
May P. The changing face of Newmarket 1600 – 1760. Peter May Publications; 1984.
Microfilm transcripts of St Mary’s and All Saints’ parish records, Newmarket: Reference: J562/69, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
S.H.A.H. Biographical List of Boys Educated at King Edward VI Free Grammar School, Bury St. Edmunds. From 1550 to 1900. Bury St Edmunds: Paul & Matthew; 1908. Entry 61: ‘SEARANCKE Thomas. Son of Thomas Searancke of Newmarket, druggist. One year at Bury under Wright. Elected to Hewer exhibition May 1776. Adm. to Caius Coll. March 1776 aged 20. He was dead by March 1777, when William Nesfield was elected to his vacant exhibition.’
Suffolk Medical Biographies. Profile for Searancke, Thomas. http://www.suffolkmedicalbiographies.co.uk/Profile.asp?Key=2549 (originally accessed pre October 2013). [Note: see comments regarding this website on the Francis Greene page.], [Note also, at the time of writing (June 2015) this website had only one page covering the Thomas Searanckes, having merged them, following Wallis and Wallis below, with only two references, one to Wallis and Wallis (see below) and the other to the will and codicil of Thomas Searancke 1 – oddly, since clearly the probate of that implies there must be more than one in the date range.]
The research notes of Peter May. Reference: HD1584, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
Venn J. Biographical history of Gonville and Caius College 1349-1897. Cambridge: At the University Press; 1898; vol II, pg 96: ‘Searanke, Thomas: son of Thomas Searanke, druggist, of Newmarket, Suff. Born there. School, Bury, one year, under Mr Wright. Age 20. Admitted sizar, March 1 1776. Scholar, Michs 1776 to L.Day 1777.’
Wallis PJ, Wallis RV. Eighteeth century medics. [2nd ed.]. Newcastle Upon Tyne: Project for Historical Biobibliography; 1988. [Note: this references two Thomas Searan(c)kes, one as apothecary and subscriber London and Newmarket before 1735 and after 1783 appearing to have merged the different Thomas Searanckes, but Thomas Searancke 2’s bishop’s licence is listed serparately as Thomas Searancke surgeon.]
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.).