Doctor Samuel Taylor Chadwick Statue, Bolton - geograph

Samuel Taylor Chadwick (1809 – 3 May 1876) was an English doctor and philanthropist.

Life

Chadwick was born in Newcroft House in

Urmston Urmston is a town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, which had a population of 41,825 at the 2011 Census. Historic counties of England, Historically in Lancashire, it is southwest of Manchester city centre. The southern boundary is the ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...

, and educated at Stretford School before moving to

Bolton Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish weavers settled in the area in the 14th ...

at the age of 14 to live with a doctor uncle in Sweet Green. Chadwick himself then decided to study medicine at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

in 1828, becoming a Member of the

Royal College of Surgeons The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations a ...

(MRCS). He returned to Lancashire and set up a practice in

Wigan Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the north-east and Warrington t ...

, moving to Bolton in 1837 to succeed his uncle. To improve his medical knowledge and skills he went to Ireland for two years, qualifying as a Licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons (LRCS), and Scotland for one year, qualifying LRCS of Edinburgh. After further study he was awarded the degree of MD in Edinburgh. He again returned to Bolton and established an eye clinic and an

ear, nose and throat Otorhinolaryngology ( , abbreviated ORL and also known as otolaryngology, otolaryngology–head and neck surgery (ORL–H&N or OHNS), or ear, nose, and throat (ENT)) is a surgical subspeciality within medicine that deals with the surgical a ...

clinic and became honorary surgeon at Bolton Hospital. He donated £5000 towards the building of the Chadwick ear, nose and throat ward. His surgical skill resulted in his election as a

Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (FRCS) is a professional qualification to practise as a senior surgeon in Ireland or the United Kingdom. It is bestowed on an intercollegiate basis by the four Royal Colleges of Surgeons (the Royal ...

. He provided the funds to set up a Mechanics Institute and gave lectures on public health issues. Further donations enabled houses to be built for people living in cellars. He was elected to Bolton Council and fought for better public health provisions such as cleaner water, established the Chadwick Orphanage which could house 80 girls and improved the Bolton

Workhouse In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse' ...

. He donated money to establish a natural history museum in the town's Queen's Park, which was the basis of the present

Bolton Museum Bolton Museum is a public museum and art gallery in the town of Bolton, England, owned by Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council. The museum is housed within the grade II listed Le Mans Crescent near Bolton Town Hall and shares its main entrance ...

now relocated to the town centre. His final act of philanthropy before his retirement to

Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. Southport lies on the Iris ...

in 1863 was to set up a charity to help European refugees. He died on 3 May 1876 and was buried at Bolton Parish Church. He had married Ann Hall, a wine merchant's daughter, but both their children died young. In 1873 Bolton council erected the statue of him which stands today outside

Bolton Town Hall Bolton Town Hall in Victoria Square, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, was built between 1866 and 1873 for the County Borough of Bolton to designs by William Hill of Leeds and George Woodhouse of Bolton. The town hall was extended in the 19 ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chadwick, Samuel Taylor 1809 births 1876 deaths People in health professions from Manchester People from Urmston 19th-century English medical doctors Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons Alumni of the University of Edinburgh