William Sandiver 2 (numbered like this to differentiate him from William Sandiver 1, his medical father) is an extraordinarily fascinating character on all sorts of levels, medical, horse racing and other. His mother was Hannah Sandiver née Isaacson, of St Omar’s Manor, Burwell, but he was baptised at St Mary’s church, Newmarket, on 20th June 1740. His memorial stone in the same church 73 years later states that he died aged 74, so presumably he was actually born in 1739.
From a medical perspective he was a classic 18th century surgeon-apothecary (see The history of medical treatments, training, qualifications and regulation). Primarily referred to as William Sandiver surgeon, he’s also referred to as an apothecary, not least when he had an apprentice in 1773 (Philip Isaacson – possibly a relative of his mother?). In 1813 he was recorded as belonging to the Community of Associated Apothecaries and Surgeon-Apothecaries of England and Wales. In Bailey’s directory of 1784, which lists amongst others ‘gentlemen of the law and physic’ he’s listed as a surgeon and apothecary. In the 1791 Universal British Directory he’s even described as a man-midwife, listed under ‘Physic’ – so a true all rounder and forerunner of the modern general practitioner (see the Faint traces page for an image of this). There is no evidence that he had any training other than what he would have received from his father William Sandiver 1, who although described as a ‘surgeon’ practised ‘physick’, but no-where is actually described as an apothecary. First, however, William Sandiver 2 went to the King Edward 6th Free Grammar School in Bury St Edmunds, where he’s recorded as a pupil in 1753. He would then have served as an apprentice alongside his father before continuing in practice with him. The other feature he shares with his father is that although mainly referred to as ‘Mr’ he’s occasionally given the title ‘Dr’, even though there is no evidence that either of them had a university education, so called ‘Drs by the breath of the people’ (not to be confused with William Sandiver of Newmarket the cleric, who went to Cambridge University and ended up in Lincolnshire; no doubt he was related, but he was not a very close relative – see The Sandivers for more details).
In 1766 William Sandiver 1 appears to have moved to Mildenhall, leaving his son to run the Newmarket practice. It might well have been that they operated as a dual site enterprise, since William Sandiver 2 was referred to as the junior surgeon on his father’s memorial at St Mary’s church in 1769 (see an image on the page about William Sandiver 1). On the 1790 electoral role for Newmarket this younger William Sandiver is recorded still owning a freehold property in Mildenhall (which he later sold in 1792 – see below), so perhaps he maintained a presence there for a time after his father’s death, although when he sold the property he had a tenant living there named Henry Star.
William Sandiver 2 in 1786 using blood-lettling ‘opening a vein’ to treat the Prince of Wales’s for a nose bleed at the Newmarket races – this was the later Prince Regent / King George IV (see below or click image for source and acknowledgements etc., ref. Image 1).
William Sandiver 2’s known medical interventions and opinions are particularly fascinating. In May 1786 there was a report in The Norfolk Chronicle regarding the Newmarket Races, including the comment ‘Monday the Prince of Wales was taken with a violent bleeding at the nose, which compelled him to leave the course; and Mr. Sandiver, surgeon at Newmarket, was under the necessity of opening a vein, in order to relieve his Royal Highness from this troublesome attack’ (see image on the right). This would have been the later Prince Regent / King George IV. In 1859 a cousin of William Sandiver 2 wrote that he had been ‘medical attendant to the Prince Regent’, suggesting that there was more to this relationship than treating a single nose bleed. The report obviously describes blood-letting, a popular medical intervention of the time, with a long history but of no real benefit (it’s only helpful in rare patients with polycythaemia). I presume the erroneous rationale here would have been that a nose bleed indicates that the body has too much blood so letting some out elsewhere is likely to help (medical theory for centuries, in fact a couple of millennia, had been based on the idea of achieving a balance between four humors, one of which was blood – as above, see The history of medical treatments, training, qualifications and regulation). Some further medical opinions, also be read with caution, were recorded in a fascinating interview he gave in 1805, regarding wasting in jockeys – see the references below, and click here for the full transcript (and also see the page on John Rowland Wright for more on the same subject).
As can be seen from the above, William Sandiver 2 was involved with horse racing. In fact he’s even recorded doing visits to patients on a horse described as ‘crooked-ankled’ from which nevertheless various successful racehorses were bred (in a book published in 1857, which included the recollections of George IV, who might therefore have been the original source of this information, given William Sandiver 2’s involvement with him mentioned in the paragraph above). Horse racing seems to have been a life-long key interest of his, and a book published in 1923 (see the references below) described him as ‘a gentleman rider and sporting doctor of Newmarket, at the end of the eighteenth century’. In 1765 ‘Doctor Sandiver’ even won the Newmarket Plate race (see image below), riding a horse called Hazzard (this race was started by Charles II in 1666 and is still run today – interestingly, a 20th century Newmarket anaesthetist Dr Anthony (John) Pearce took part in this race too, and amazingly happened to live in a section of William Sandiver 2’s old house; the section with the car on the drive in the image below). In 1812 William Sandiver 2 is recorded owning the interestingly named horse Black Beauty, who ran in the October meetings and came second twice. He’s also recorded owning a painting of a horse named Flying Childers. Collecting paintings was another interest of his it seems. In 1859 the cousin mentioned above (Edward FitzBall, a relative of the Burwell Isaacsons – see page on William Sandiver 1 also) wrote that he ‘had many fine paintings and sculptures’. The 1923 book mentioned above reports him saying that ‘in his time, many pictures were collected with some definite aim; and that they were then left in a damp cellar, where they became so hopelessly spoilt that they were eventually destroyed’. It’s not clear whether this was referring to his own picture collection or those of others (probably the latter given the tone). When his nephew and heir died (just 6 months after inheriting his estate, in 1814) the possessions auctioned off included a ‘large collection of Paintings and Prints’, ‘Paintings by eminent Masters, FINE ENGRAVINGS’ and a ‘Library of Books’, no doubt many of which he had inherited from William Sandiver 2. At least one book we know the title of, since ‘Mr. Sandiver, Surgeon, Newmarket’ is recorded in it as a subscriber: ‘The history and antiquities of the city of Bristol’, which underlines his wider cultural interests too.
‘Doctor Sandiver’ winning the Newmarket Plate horse race in 1765 (see below or click image for source and acknowledgements etc., ref. Image 2).
Regarding his family, William Sandiver 2’s mother Hannah died in 1743 when he was only 3 or 4 years of age (her memorial stone is in her native Burwell alongside other Isaacsons – see an image on the page about William Sandiver 1), but not before a sister had been born, Diana baptized in 1742. His father William Sandiver 1 never re-married, but lived for nearly three more decades. William Sandiver 2 himself grew up to marry Mary Edmundson (5 years his senior) in 1767, when he would have been in his late 20s. They had only one child, Elizabeth, baptised in 1769. Mary died in 1786 at 52 years of age (sharing a memorial stone with her father in law – see the page on William Sandiver 1 for an image). So William Sandiver 2 would have been widowed in his late 40s when Elizabeth his daughter was still in her teens. Like his father he never remarried. Elizabeth never married at all and died at the age of 39 (her 40th year) in 1808. Next to nothing is known about her except a few intriguing clues – a faint almost saintly figure gracing the history of Newmarket. On her death it was reported that she suffered from ‘a lingering illness, which she supported with the most exemplary patience and resignation’ and ‘was a person possessed of the most amiable qualifications, and who had endeared herself to all classes of society in that town [Newmarket] and neighbourhood, where her loss is no less regretted by the most respectable families than by the poorer inhabitants, to whom she was a truly benevolent friend, in constantly administering to their necessities, whether in sickness or in health’. The only other reference to Miss Elizabeth Sandiver is in her father’s will of 1813 (and on their shared memorial in the bell tower of St Mary’s church – see image below) in which he left £100 each to, ‘Ann the wife of the Reverend John Isaacson of Lidgate in the said County of Suffolk and to Catharine Isaacson of Moulton in the County of Suffolk Spinster the much loved ffriends and Relatives of my dear departed daughter’. Obviously living in a comfortable and well provided for situation with her father, yet with a ‘thorn in the flesh’ (2 Corinthians 12:7), she appears to have lived a humble almost monastic-like existence as a single, with ecclesiastical friends, spending her time ‘going about doing good’ as has been said of other inspiring figures (see Why talkingdust.net?) – her life also has interesting resonances with another much earlier Ms E who came from a wealthy background up the other end of the same street many centuries earlier (see The history of medical treatments, training, qualifications and regulation). Despite her station in life Elizabeth Sandiver perhaps used her family’s patient contacts and other church contacts as opportunities to minister with kindness to all, in sickness and in health. It would be lovely to know more about her – perhaps one day we will, even if it’s not until eternity has dawned.
William Sandiver 2’s House – today the right hand wing is called Sandiver House, the middle Stamford House and the left hand side Berner’s House (see below or click image for source and acknowledgements etc., ref. Image 3).
Where William Sandiver 2 lived before 1792 is not known, although various property and land transactions are described in the Newmarket manorial records, largely relating to the Mill Hill area of town. However, in 1792 he acquired the beautiful old 17th century house that still stands at the bottom of Mill Hill in St Mary’s Square (see image on the left), from Jeremiah Bryant, a Beer Brewer, as part of a mutual exchange deal involving the late William Sandiver 1’s property in Mildenhall, which he’d inherited. Historically this Mill Hill property had been divided into ‘three tenements’ from 1703 at least, as it is now (currently called Berner’s House, Stamford House and Sandiver House – the latter for obvious reasons!). William Sandiver 2 owned (copyhold of the manor of Newmarket) all three sections and also owned and used as an apothecary’s shop the first property up Mill Hill (Simpsons of Newmarket Ltd. at the time of writing). When the house was sold following Samuel Buckle’s death in 1814 (see below) the sales particulars gave a detailed and very interesting description of the house, grounds and its surroundings (see the 1814 reference below, and click here for a full transcript). It’s amazing how the surroundings have changed yet the house still stands! The description reads as if the house is a single entity and clearly describes the entire building. Whether William Sandiver 2 and Miss Elizabeth lived in just part of it (the Sandiver House part?) and let the rest out is not known. Maybe various parts were lived in by members of an extended household, including perhaps John Pease, described as William Sandiver’s longstanding assistant (non-medical it seems, as no-where is he referred to as a medic, although he might have assisted in medical things to some extent?) and whose signature appears as a witness on the 1792 Mildenhall house documents and in the manorial records.
Memorial to William Sandiver 2 and his daughter Elizabeth inside the base of the bell tower at St Mary’s church, Newmarket (see below or click image for source and acknowledgements etc., ref. Image 4).
So William Sandiver 2 died in 1813, with a memorial placed in the bell tower at St Mary’s church in Newmarket (see image on the right) near that of his father and wife (see the page on William Sandiver 1). His inheritance and legacy are fascinating to trace and speculate on. He inherited St Omar’s manor, Burwell, from his aunt Diana Isaacson, presumably in 1803 (the date of her probate), but courts were held for him from 1806 as Lord of the manor. He likely had a significant inheritance from the Sandivers too, including the Mildenhall property, and obviously had a long and lucrative career, so basically he was very wealthy. In his will of 1813 he left legacies to various friends, relatives (including ffrances Metcalf – see below) and servants, but his main heir was Samuel Buckle his nephew, son of his sister Diana Sandiver who had married Samuel Buckle senior in 1771. Samuel Buckle junior (the nephew) had been born to them the following year. He became an attorney but sadly died in his early 40s just 6 months after his significant inheritance. He’d married only a few months earlier, to Elizabeth Metcalf, with whom he’d had a daughter before their marriage, about 6 years earlier according to his will (which fits with a comment in the margin of her January 1813 baptismal record, which appears to suggest that she was born in November 1807). In that record she’s named as Frances Buckle natural daughter of Elizabeth Metcalf, so ffrances Buckle Metcalfe as she’s described in the will of Samuel Buckle. She appears to have been the intended main end recipient of this significant fortune, and likely benefited from it greatly in due course. Interestingly she married a Robert Tubbs in 1832, when living at Barton Mills (where perhaps Elizabeth and Frances had gone to live after Samuel’s death?). Thirty years later on the 1861 census, aged 54, she’s recorded as Frances B Tubbs born in Newmarket, Suffolk, married to Robert Tubbs, Baptist minister of Ebenezer Chapel, Addlestone, Surrey. He was the minister there from 1857 until his death in 1871 and ‘He “carried the Gospel” into the local towns and won much respect and admiration for the church’. It’s interesting to consider how much of the financial legacy from Newmarket was spent supporting ministry in Addlestone, and elsewhere in the various places he ministered with Frances before that? What a fascinating twist/channel of divine providence if so. Ebenezer Chapel moved into the newly named Addlestone Baptist Church in 1873. It’s foundation stone was laid by Spurgeon in 1872 (see Providential fever, prescriptions for the soul and spiritual genetics!). This is still a thriving church today (see references below). After Robert Tubbs death, Frances died 7 years later in the Wandsworth registration district of London* in 1878.
And so what became of William Sandiver 2’s practice? Exactly as he died, Woodward Mudd of Walsham-le-Willows moved to Newmarket and placed a public notice in the local newspaper declaring that he, ‘humbly solicits the favours of the employers of the late much-respected Mr. Sandiver’. This might have been sheer opportunism. However, there are reasons to suppose a more formal arrangement. It surely would have been very inappropriate to place such an advert, naming an individual without family authorisation, right at the point of his death. Moreover, even arranging appropriate accommodation at such short notice would surely have been problematic (he likely initially used William Sandiver’s facilities). Also, on Woodward Mudd’s death in 1818 Robert James Peck used similar language even though Woodward Mudd was his known partner in practice, he ‘flatters himself he shall be found deserving of that confidence and patronage he respectfully solicits, and be enabled to give to the Friends of the late Mr. Mudd satisfaction equal to that which they derived from the attendance of that gentleman’ – and that appears to have been a brief handover partnership. Moreover, there are very good reasons to suppose a connection between William Sandiver 2 and Robert James Peck, so perhaps Woodward Mudd was a bridge / formal succession, although it could have been just an informal opportunistic succession that worked (see The Rookery practice chain for more details/discussion on this).
The main rival practice in 1813 was that of Walter Norton. There was no competing or similar advert from him, or the relatively new in town James Hustler. Walter Norton had probably been in practice in Newmarket since his apprenticeship to John Edwards senior in the 1770s, who he’d probably succeeded on the death of John Edwards senior then junior in 1793/1796 respectively (see The Edwards-Norton-Taylor-Kendall-Thomas-Bullen practice chain). In 1788 John Edwards was recorded as the surgeon for All Saints’ parish and William Sandiver 2 the same for St Mary’s (see the page on John Edwards form an image). Whether the geographical demarcation was that strict is not known, but seems unlikely (although both clearly had an official role of some kind in the respective parishes, perhaps including poor law medical work). The Searanckes were the third main practice in town during the 18th century, the careers of Thomas Searancke 2 and Thomas Searancke 3 overlapping with that of William Sandiver 2, Thomas Searancke 2 being 10 years younger but both of these Searanckes died before him.
* Interestingly, as a medical student the author of talkingdust.net was baptised in this district, at Trinity Road Chapel, a church founded in the 1870s whose main building has a foundation stone laid by Spurgeon in 1877. It must be the case that Frances Buckle Tubbs née Metcalf from Newmarket was familiar with this like-minded church in her final district of this world, which greatly influenced my spiritual development as a young medical student, leading to many of the scattered personal reflections and observations I’ve made on this website! However, the Trinity Road Chapel archives show no evidence that she was actually a member of this church or contributed financially to its construction, although there were some anonymous donations made (ascertained by personal correspondence with the church in 2016), so just maybe she was an anonymous donor? – one day I hope to ask her!
Image 1: The Norfolk Chronicle. Saturday May 6 1786: 2 (cropped); image © The British Library Board, all rights reserved, reproduced with kind permission of The British Newspaper Archive, www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. [Note: clicking here leads to the specific page on their website, but requires logging in to it.]
Image 2: The Ipswich Journal. Saturday Oct 12 1765: 2 (cropped); image © The British Library Board, all rights reserved, reproduced with kind permission of The British Newspaper Archive, www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. [Note: clicking here leads to the specific page on their website, but requires logging in to it.]
Image 3: Photograph taken in 2013, by the author of talkingdust.net.
Image 4: Photograph taken in 2013, by the author of talkingdust.net.
Note: see comments regarding images and copyright © etc. on the Usage &c. page as well.
1740, 20th June: William son of Wm and Hannah Sandiver baptised, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1742, 24th March: Diana daughter of William and Hannah Sandiver baptised, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1743, 29th October: Memorial to Hannah Sandiver. ‘Near this Place lies the Remains of HANNAH ye Wife of WILLIAM SANDIVER of Newmarket in ye County of Suffolk SURGEON, & Daughter of STEPHEN ISAACSON of this Parish Gent; and MARY his Wife. She Departed this Life Octbr; 29th; 1743. and in the 29th; Year of her Age’. Reference: Memorial inside St Mary’s church, Burwell, Cambridgeshire. [Note: see the page on William Sandiver 1 for an image.]
1753: ‘Sandiver William. Son of William Sandiver of Newmarket, surgeon. Adm. to Bury school Sept 1753. Foreigner.’ (entry 33.). Reference: 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. [Note: foreigner refers to the fact he was not from Bury.]
1765, 10th October: Under Newmarket Races, ‘The Town-plate given by King Charles, was run for Oct. 10th by Haydon’s Horse, Hazard, and Mr. Adam’s Horse; the Riders were for Haydon, Doctor Sandiver, and for Adams, Mr Robert Sole, which was won by the former.’ Reference: The Ipswich Journal. Saturday Oct 12 1765: 2. [Note: it’s possible that this was William Sandiver 1, who would have been in his mid 50s, but William Sandiver 2 in his mid 20s seems more likely.], [Note also, see image above.]
1767, 14th August: William Sandiver married Mary Edmundson (both of this parish – Diana Sandiver was one of the witnesses), St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1769, 4th February: William Sandiver buried, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1769, 4th February: Memorial to William Sandiver (and his daughter in law Mary). ‘Near this place are deposited the Remains of WILLIAM SANDIVER Surgeon, Eminent in his profession And universally respected He died 4th. Febry. 1769. In the 57th. Year of his age. Also of MARY the Wife of WILL. SANDIVER Junr. Surgeon who died 4.Febry. 1786. Aged 52 Years.’ Reference: Memorial in the base of the bell tower, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. [Note: he was buried the same day he died and also note interestingly they both died on 4th February!], [Note also, see the page on William Sandiver 1 for an image.]
1769, 23rd November: Elizabeth daughter of William and Mary Sandiver baptised, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1771, 5th June: Samuel Buckle (of this parish) married Diana Sandiver (of St Mary’s parish), All Saint’s church, Newmarket. Reference: Microfiche of Newmarket All Saints’ parish register (fiche 5), (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1772, 31st December: Samuel son of Samuel and Diana Buckle baptised, All Saints’ church, Newmarket. Reference: Microfiche of Newmarket All Saints’ parish register (fiche 3), (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1773, 17th May: Tax paid regarding Philip Isaacson’s apprenticeship to ‘Wm Sandiver of Newmarket Suff: Surgeon & Apothecary’. Reference: Online image of apprenticeship tax records held at The National Archives, ancestry.co.uk (accessed 5th May 2015).
1774, 23rd September: Sandiver William (!) son of Samuel and Diana Buckle baptised, All Saint’s church, Newmarket. Reference: Microfiche of Newmarket All Saints’ parish register (fiche 5), (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1778, 22nd February: William Sandiver Buckle buried, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1779: Mr William Sandiver listed in the Medical Register made that year, under Newmarket. Reference: The Medical Register for the year 1779. London: Printed for J. Murray, No 32, Fleet Street; 1779, pg 132. [Note: no-one else is listed under Newmarket, but Thomas Searancke 2 appears on page 37 as a member of the London Society of Apothecaries as ‘Thomas Searancke, Newmarket’ – under yeomanry.]
1780, 30th January: Samuel Buckle senior buried, All Saint’s church, Newmarket. Reference: Microfiche of Newmarket All Saints’ parish register (fiche 3), (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1782: ‘Last week the Rev. Dr. Frampton and Mr. Sandiver went round the Suffolk part of Newmarket, for the subscription towards the new ship to be presented to Government,…’. Reference: The Norfolk Chronicle. Saturday Sep 14 1782: 2. [Note: this was a collection made in Suffolk towards the building of a warship, a voluntary initiative because the County of Suffolk was aware ‘of the inferiority of the naval force of Great Britain, compared with that of other European powers with whom we are now at war’. More than £20,000 had been raised by November 1782. Reference: A list of subscribers for the purpose of building a ship of war for the service of the public, pursuant to the resolution of a general meeting of the County of Suffolk, held at Stowmarket, August 5th. 1782.’ Ipswich: Charles Punchard; 1782. – there are copies of this in both Suffolk County Record Offices (Ipswich ref. HD373/3 bound with other documents; Bury St Edmunds ref. 929.342.64).]
1783: Mr William Sandiver listed in the Medical Register made that year, under Newmarket. Reference: The Medical Register for the year 1783. London: Printed for Joseph Johnson, No 72, St Paul’s church-yard; 1783, pg 110. [Note: no-one else is listed under Newmarket, but Thomas Searancke 2 appears on page 27 as a member of the London Society of Apothecaries as ‘Thomas Searancke, Newmarket’ – under livery.]
1784: ‘Sandiber [sic], William, Surgeon and Apothecary’, under Newmarket, Cambridgeshire. Reference: Bailey’s British directory; or, merchant’s and trader’s useful companion, for the year 1784, in four volumes. Containing accurate lists of the bankers, merchants, manufacturers, gentlemen of the law and physic and principal traders in the metropolis, and different towns in Great Britain. Volume the fourth. The eastern directory. Price three shillings. Containing and accurate list of the names and places of abode of the bankers, merchants, gentlemen of the law and physic, manufacturers, and respectable traders in every principal in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Kent, Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Sussex, Surry [sic], and Warwickshire. Compiled with the greatest care and accuracy. The first edition. London: Printed by W. Bailey, and Co.; 1784, pg 872. [Note: there is not a separate section for Newmarket, Suffolk.]
1786, 4th February: Under Deaths, ‘On Saturday, Mrs. Sandiver, wife of Mr. Sandiver, Surgeon, of Newmarket.’ Reference: The Ipswich Journal. Saturday Feb 11 1786: 1. [Note: see memorial on father-in-law’s 1769 memorial referenced above.]
1786, 11th February: Mary Sandiver buried, St Mary’s Church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1786, 1st May: Reporting on the Newmarket races: ‘Monday the Prince of Wales was taken with a violent bleeding at the nose, which compelled him to leave the course; and Mr. Sandiver, surgeon at Newmarket, was under the necessity of opening a vein, in order to relieve his Royal Highness from this troublesome attack.’ Reference: The Norfolk Chronicle. Saturday May 6 1786: 2. [Note: see image above.]
1787, 5th March: Mr. Sandiver, Newmarket, appointed a steward of the Suffolk Benevolent Medical Society. Reference: The Ipswich Journal. Saturday Mar 10 1787: 3.
1788, 9th June: William Sandiver listed as the surgeon heading up St Mary’s parish alongside John Edwards as the surgeon heading up All Saints’ parish declaring with others listed underneath, ‘Whereas a Report has been propagated, that the SMALL-POX is in Newmarket: We, the Churchwardens, Overseers, and other principle Inhabitants of St. Mary’s and All Saints parishes, in Newmarket aforesaid, do certify, that no persons have got the Small-Pox in either of the said parishes’. Reference: The Ipswich Journal. Saturday Jun 14 1788: 3. [Note: see the page on John Edwards for an image.]
1789: ‘Mr. Sandiver, Surgeon, Newmarket.’ listed as a subscriber to: Reference: Barrett W. The history and antiquities of the city of Bristol. Bristol: William Pine; 1789. [Note: it’s nice to know that William Sandiver was interested in history! However, also note this book was written by ‘William Barrett, surgeon, F.S.A.’ so perhaps there was a professional connection too, but it’s interesting to find another medic involved in writing about history, albeit at a higher level than myself, and non-medical subject matter. It also has an interesting semi-theological semi-anthropological opening paragraph about all mankind being of one blood then spreading out across the earth; he starts by quoting Acts 17:26.]
1790: William Sandiver on the electoral roll for Newmarket; also on that poll described as owning freehold property in Mildenhall. Reference: ‘The Poll for the Kinghts of the shire, for the county of Suffolk, taken at Ipswich, before Miles Barne, Esq. High-Sheriff, on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 29th and 30th, 1790’. Ipswich: G. Jermyn; 1790.
1791: William Sandwer, Surgeon and Man-midwife, Newmarket, Cambridgeshire (listed under ‘Physic.’ and note the ‘w’ is obviously a miss-reading of ‘iv’ by the type-setter). Reference: The Universal British Directory of Trade, Commerce, and Manufacture. London: Printed for the patentees, at the British Directory Office, Ave Maria-Lane; and sold by Champante and Whitrow, Jewery-Street, Aldgate; 1791. [Note: see the Faint traces page for an image.]
1792, January: Lease and release of property in Mildenhall from William Sandiver surgeon of Newmarket, son and heir of the late William Sandiver surgeon of Mildenhall, to William Bryant of Newmarket on the understanding that he would surrender the copyright of a property ‘holden of the manor of Newmarket’ to William Sandiver. The property is described as ‘now [in 1792] in the tenure or occupation of Henry Star his undertenant’ and ‘which premises was conveyed unto the said William Sandiver deceased [i.e. William Sandiver 1] in ffee by Robert Whiting late of Mildenhall aforesaid grocer deceased as by indentures… in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty six’. Reference: HD1133 (bundle relating to a building in Mildenhall High Street called The Ram, later The Crown, later The Mildenhall and District Conservative Club, and at the time of conducting this research The Istanbul Turkish restaurant / kebab house), (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1792, 30th May: William Sandiver, surgeon of Newmarket, admitted to all three parts of ‘that customary messuage now divided into three tenements on the Mill Hill in Newmarket’ on the surrender of Jeremiah Bryant of Newmarket, beer brewer. Newmarket manorial records. Reference: 359/14, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1800, 25th January: The will of Diana Isaacson of Burwell (probate 1803 to William Sandiver, nephew). Reference: The National Archives, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, PROB 11/1390/126.
1803, 10th February: Memorial to Diana Isaacson (next to the 1743 Hannah Sandiver memorial referenced above). ‘Near this Place Rest the Remains of DIANA ISAACSON Spinster Daughter of STEPHEN & MARY ISAACSON who Departed this life Febry, 10th, 1803, AGED 78 YEARS’. Reference: Memorial inside St Mary’s church, Burwell, Cambridgeshire.
1805, 28th June: ‘The opinions of the late W. Sandiver, the sur-geon of Newmarket on the training of Jockies’. Reference: Whyte JC. History of The British Turf, from the earliest period to the present day; Vol II. London: Henry Colburn; 1840, pg 600-602. [Note: click here for more details.]
1808, 22nd October: ‘On Saturday last died, in her 40th year, after a lingering illness, which she supported with the most exemplary patience and resignation, Miss Sandiver, only child of William Sandiver, Esq. surgeon, of Newmarket. – She was a person possessed of the most amiable qualifications, and who had endeared herself to all classes of society in that town and neighbourhood, where her loss is no less regretted by the most respectable families than by the poorer inhabitants, to whom she was a truly benevolent friend, in constantly administering to their necessities, whether in sickness or in health’. Reference: The Bury and Norwich Post. Wednesday Oct 26 1808: 2. [Note: interestingly this entry was reproduced in 1887 under the column ‘Glimpses of the Past, No, 108’. Reference: The Bury and Norwich Post. Tuesday Jul 12 1887: 6.]
1808, 29th October: Elizabeth Sandiver 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: see 1813 below for her memorial.]
1812: Index: ‘Sandiver, W. Esq. – Black Beauty, by Sorcerer, dam by Sir Peter, out of Deceit, 157 [Note: this page refers to the Second October Meeting and records Mr Sandiver’s Black Beauty coming 2nd], 168 [Note: this page refers to the Third October, or Houghton Meeting, and also records Mr Sandiver’s Black Beauty coming second.]’ Reference: Weatherby E, Weatherby J. The Racing Calendar for the year 1812. London: C.H. Reynell; 1813.
1812, 13th October: Newmarket’s second October meeting. ‘Tuesday, 50l. for two-yr-olds, was won by Ld F. G. Osborne’s July, beating Mr Sandiver’s f. Black Beauty, D. of Grafton’s br. f. Picquet, and 7 others.’ Reference: The Lincoln, Rutland, and Stamford Mercury. Friday Oct 16 1812: 3.
1812, 30th October: Newmarket’s Houghton meeting. Wednesday, ‘50l. for 2 and 3-years-olds, was won by Ld Rous’s ch. c. Flamingo, 3 yrs. old, beating Mr. Sandiver’s Black Beauty, 2 yrs. old, and 8 others.’ Reference: The Lincoln, Rutland, and Stamford Mercury. Friday Oct 30 1812: 3.
1813, 4th January: ‘Frances Buckle natural daughter of Elizabeth Metcalf baptised’ St Mary’s church, Newmarket (half legible in the margin a note appears to record her birth as being 30th November 1807). Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: this also includes an entry that must have been made later and has also been crossed out that says, ‘Late wife of now widow of Saml Buckle Gent deceased of Newmarket. – the significance of this is not clear.]
1813, 9th March: In a letter to the editor ‘a constant reader, London’ writing regarding the colour of a horse called Flying Childers, describes a portrait of the horse ‘in the pos-session of Dr. Sandiver, of New-market, by Wootton’. Reference: The Sporting Magazine. Mar 1813: Vol XLI (No CCXLVI), pg 255.
1813, 4th March: The will of William Sandiver of Newmarket in the County of Suffolk Surgeon (probate 16th March 1814). Reference: The National Archives, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, PROB 11/1554/155. [Note: for details of contents, including some quotes, see the main text above.]
1813, April: ‘Sandiver, Newmarket’, listed under ‘Subscriptions received from the Country Practitioners who are of the Community of Associated Apothecaries and Surgeon-Apothecaries of England and Wales’ (i.e. subscribing to The Medial and Physical Journal). Reference: The Medical and Physical Journal 1813; 4 of Vol. XXIX, No. 170.
1813, 29th June: Memorial to William Sandiver (and his daughter Elizabeth). ‘Near this place are deposited the Remains of ELIZ:SANDIVER. Spinster Only Daughter of WILLIAM SANDIVER Esqr. and MARY his wife. who died October 26: 1808 Aged 39 Years. Also of WILLIAM SANDIVER Esqr. who died June 29:1813 Aged 74 Years.’ Reference: Memorial in the base of the bell tower, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. [Note: see image above.]
1813, 29th June: Under deaths, ‘Yesterday se’nnight, aged 74, Wm. Sandiver, Esq. an eminent surgeon of Newmarket; his death will be universally lamented, as his life was actively and entirely employed in the discharge of every office appertaining to the Christian character.’ Reference: The Bury and Norwich Post. Wednesday Jul 7 1813: 2. [Note: the interesting word ‘se’nnight’ presumably meaning seven night (one week as apposed to fortnight), i.e. here a week ago yesterday from Wednesday 7th July being Tuesday 29th June.]
1813, 3rd July: Woodward Mudd arriveed in town to take on William Sandiver’s patients. ‘W. MUDD, SURGEON, &c. BEING REMOVED from Walsham-le-Willows to NEWMARKET, humbly solicits the favours of the employers of the late much-respected Mr. Sandiver, and the public in general.- July 3, 1813.’ Reference: The Bury and Norwich Post. Wednesday Jul 14 1813: 2.
1813, 6th July: William Sandiver buried, St Mary’s Church, Newmarket. Reference: J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1813, 22nd July: Samuel Buckle married Elizabeth Metcalf, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1813, 24th December: The will of Samuel Buckle (probate 22nd July 1814). Reference: The National Archives, Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, PROB 11/1558/357. [Note: for a description of contents relevant to this website see comments in the main text above.]
1814, 6th January: Samuel Buckle buried, St Mary’s church, Newmarket. Reference J552/9, microfilm of Newmarket St Mary’s parish register, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1814, 1st February: Reported to have died at Newmarket, ‘Mr. Samuel Buckle, attorney, nephew to the late Wil-liam Sandiver, esq. whose property he had inherited only 6 months. [sic]’. Reference: The New Monthly Magazine. Feb 1814: Vol 1 (No 1), pg 93.
1814, 6th April: Sale and description of William Sandiver’s former residence. Reference: The Bury and Norwich Post. Wednesday Apr 6, 13 & 20 1814: 3. [Note: click here for more details.]
1814, 18th May: Auction of Samuel Buckle’s property ‘formerly of the late WM. SANDIVER, Esq.’ included a ‘large collection of Paintings and Prints’, ‘Paintings by eminent Masters, FINE ENGRAVINGS’ and a ‘Library of Books’. Reference: The Bury and Norwich Post. Wednesday Apr 27 1814: 3.
1814, 1st June: The Newmarket manorial records refer to, ‘that tenement or building lying on the north side of the front yard of the said capital mansion some time since a cottage but converted by the said William Sandiver into an apothecary’s shop and lately used by the said Samuel Buckle the son as an office’. Reference: 359/15, pg 161, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: there is also a diagram a few pages later in the 1815 records (359/15, pg 186) showing the layout of these buildings.]
1819, 1st January: Robert James Peck’s notice to patients following the death of Woodward Mudd. Reference: The Bury and Norwich Post. Wednesday Jan 6 1819: 2. [Note: see the page on Robert James Peck for an image.]
1829, 1st July: Under deaths, ‘Same day [Saturday se’nnight – see comments under 29th June 1813 above], aged 81, Mr John Pease, many years an assistant to the late Mr. Sandiver, surgeon, of Newmarket.’ Reference: The Bury and Norwich Post. Wednesday Jul 1 1829: 2.
1832, 6th March: Robert Tubbs married Frances Buckle Metcalf (both of this parish – so presumably Frances and mother (?) moved to Barton Mills sometime after Samuel Buckle’s death and house sale in 1814), Barton Mills parish church. Reference: Microfiche of Barton Mills parish register (fiche 5), (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
1857: ‘the mean crooked-ankled dam of Castrel, Reubens, and Selim (all by Buzzard), whose Newmarket owner, Mr. Sandiver, would often ride her for a bye hour on to the Heath, which was to be trodden by such countless winning descendants, on his way to see patients on the race afternoons.’ Reference: The Druid [pseudonym of Dixon HH]. The Post and The Paddock with recollections of George IV., and other Turf Celebrities. London: Piper Stephenson & Co; 1857, pg 271. [Note: there are various editions of this book, and this is not in the first edition.]
1859: In his autobiography, playwrite Edward Fitzball mentions, ‘my cousin, Dr. Sandiver of Newmarket, who was medical attendant to the Prince Regent. This gentleman had many fine paintings and sculptures: I had often seen them.’ Reference: Fitzball E. Thirty-five years of a Dramatic Author’s Life; Vol I. London: T. C. Newby; 1859, pg 14-15.
1861: Robert Tubbs (Baptist minister of Ebenezer chapel, Addlestone, Surrey) wife Frances B Tubbs aged 54 born in Newmarket, Suffolk. Reference: The National Archives, 1861 census.
1873: Ebenezer Chapel Addlestone moved to Addlestone Baptist Church. Reference: The London Gazette. Aug 8 1873.
1923: ‘Mr. Sandiver, a gentleman rider and sporting doctor of Newmarket, at the end of the eighteenth century,… relates that, in his time, many pictures were collected with some definite aim; and that they were then left in a damp cellar, where they became so hopelessly spoilt that they were eventually destroyed.’ Reference: Siltzer F. Newmarket: its sports and personalities. London, New York, Toronto and Melbourne: Cassell and company Ltd; 1923, pg 214. [Note: the 18th century primary source for this information is not clear.]
Addlestone Baptist Church. http://www.addlestonebaptist.org.uk/ (accessed 8th May 2015).
British History Online. Burwell: Manors and other estates. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/cambs/vol10/pp341-346 (accessed 5th May 2015).
Chertsey Museum. Addlestone Baptist Church. http://chertseymuseum.org/churches (accessed 8th May 2015). [Note: source for quote regarding Robert Tubbs’ ministry.]
May P. The changing face of Newmarket 1600 – 1760. Peter May Publications; 1984. [Note: see comments on The Sandivers page.]
Microfilm transcripts of St Mary’s and All Saints’ parish records, Newmarket: Reference: J562/69, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
Microfilm transcripts of the Mildenhall Parish records 1700-1769: Reference: J562/65 and J562/66, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds).
Newmarket manorial records. Reference: 359/13-15, (Suffolk County Record Office, Bury St Edmunds). [Note: as mentioned above, on page 186 of 359/15 is a map/plan of how the Mill Hill property was divided in 1815.]
Suffolk Medical Biographies. Profile for Sandiver, William [II]. http://www.suffolkmedicalbiographies.co.uk/Profile.asp?Key=3293 (originally accessed pre October 2013). [Note: when first accessed this website had references to only one William Sandiver, amalgamating data from the two. Also, information regarding the memorials and some of the other information was supplied to the editor by the author of talkingdust.net. See further comments regarding this website on the Francis Greene page.]
Thoroughbred Heritage. Portraits, Pantaloon. http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/Pantaloon.html (accessed 6th May 2015). [Note: this mentions that the ‘mean, crooked-ankled’ mare from the 1857 reference above was given to William Sandiver by the Duke of Queensbury. The primary source for this information is not known but some of the other information on this website seems to be derived from the 1857 and 1859 references above.]
Trinity Road Chapel (TRC). http://www.trinityroadchapel.org/?page=history (accessed 18th July 2016).
Typed notes accompanying the deeds of Berner’s House entitled, ‘Extracts from the Newmarket Manor Court Books relating to 2 Millhill’, which summarise details of ownership/tenancy from 1670 to 1821, kindly lent to me by Kim Pearce, owner of the property at the time of writing (May 2015) and widow of Dr Anthony Pearce, anaesthetist at Newmarket General Hospital, who bought the Berner’s House third in 1974. [Note: who made these notes is not stated – perhaps a 20th century solicitor constructing an abstract of title of sorts?], [Note also, it’s of interest that the other thing Dr Pearce had in common with William Sandiver 2 is that he competed in The Newmarket Plate race.]
Roberts RS. The personnel and practice of medicine in Tudor and Stuart England. Part 1. The provinces. Medical History 1962;6:363-382.
The Jockey Club. The Newmarket Town Plate. http://newmarket.thejockeyclub.co.uk/the-newmarket-town-plate (accessed 7th May 2015).
Wallis PJ, Wallis RV. Eighteeth century medics. [2nd ed.]. Newcastle Upon Tyne: Project for Historical Biobibliography; 1988.
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.).