Doctor Thomas Hinde (July 10, 1737 – September 28, 1828) was

Northern Kentucky Northern Kentucky is the third-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, and its cities and towns serve as the de facto "south side" communities of Cincinnati, Ohio. The three main counties ...

's first

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

, a member of the

British Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fra ...

, an American Revolutionary, personal physician to

Patrick Henry Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736June 6, 1799) was an American attorney, planter, politician and orator known for declaring to the Second Virginia Convention (1775): " Give me liberty, or give me death!" A Founding Father, he served as the first a ...

, and treated General Wolfe when he died in

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, Canada.

Overview

Thomas Hinde is the

patriarch The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certai ...

of the Hinde family in the United States. His youngest son, Thomas S. Hinde, was a notable Methodist minister and businessman,

Charles T. Hinde Charles T. Hinde (July 12, 1832 – March 10, 1915) was an American industrialist, tycoon, riverboat captain, businessman, and entrepreneur. He managed many businesses and invested in numerous business ventures over the course of his life. ...

, his grandson, was a shipping magnate, and Edmund C. Hinde, another grandson, was an adventurer. The Kavanaugh and Southgate branches of his family held elected office and positions of leadership in the Methodist church. As personal physician to Patrick Henry, Hinde played a critical role in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

through his vaccinations against smallpox and treatment of wounded soldiers. For his service he received a large land grant in Kentucky, where he moved with his family. Hinde was northern Kentucky's first physician, and a memorial was erected in

Campbell County, Kentucky Campbell County is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 93,076. Its county seats are Alexandria and Newport.

Early life

Hinde was born in Oxfordshire,

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, in July 1737. He received a classical education in Oxfordshire and, after completing his studies, was sent to

London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

to study medicine. He studied physics and surgery under Dr Thomas Brooke at Saint Thomas Hospital in London and, at the age of nineteen, was presented to the

Company of Surgeons The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) is an independent professional body and registered charity that promotes and advances standards of surgical care for patients, and regulates surgery and dentistry in England and Wales. The ...

for a licence. Shortly after, he was commissioned as a Surgeons' Mate in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

and sailed for America with the forces commanded by General Amherst. After landing in New York on June 10, 1757, he spent time at Halifax and Louisbourg. Hinde spent the winter of 1758 in Halifax and assisted Amherst with the reduction of Louisburg. He was attached to the ship which bore the commander in chief, General James Wolfe, on his way to Quebec.

Death of General Wolfe

Wolfe died in Hinde's arms during the 1759 Battle of Quebec of the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (175 ...

. According to one source, Hinde's relationship with General Wolfe and his experiences in Quebec were some of the most "cherished" experiences of his life. A painting of the death shows Dr Hinde compressing a wound to General Wolfe's torso. It is an

oil on canvas Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments with a medium of drying oil as the binder. It has been the most common technique for artistic painting on wood panel or canvas for several centuries, spreading from Europe to the rest o ...

of the Enlightenment period.

Benjamin West Benjamin West, (October 10, 1738 – March 11, 1820) was a British-American artist who painted famous historical scenes such as '' The Death of Nelson'', ''The Death of General Wolfe'', the '' Treaty of Paris'', and '' Benjamin Franklin Drawin ...

, who painted it, made a nearly identical painting of the same scene for

King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

in 1771. After Wolfe's death, Hinde remained in the British Navy and was present for the reduction of Bell'isle. Shortly after, Hinde was promoted and remained as a physician for a warship after the peace of 1763. He eventually resigned his commission. Copies of ''

The Death of General Wolfe ''The Death of General Wolfe'' is a 1770 painting by Anglo-American artist Benjamin West, commemorating the 1759 Battle of Quebec, where General James Wolfe died at the moment of victory. The painting, containing vivid suggestions of martyrdom, ...

'' by West are currently in the collection of the

National Gallery of Canada The National Gallery of Canada (french: Musée des beaux-arts du Canada), located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's national art museum. The museum's building takes up , with of space used for exhibiting art. It is one of the ...

, the Royal Ontario Museum (Canadiana art collection), the William L. Clements Library at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

and at Ickworth House, Suffolk, England.

After Quebec

After the fall of Quebec, Hinde returned briefly to England. Peace with France was reached in 1763, and Hinde then returned to Virginia and settled. He formed a close friendship with an unnamed Virginian who persuaded him to settle in a place called Hobbs Hole in

Essex County, Virginia Essex County is a county located in the Middle Peninsula in the U.S. state of Virginia; the peninsula is bordered by the Rappahannock River on the north and King and Queen County on the south. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,599. ...

and practice medicine. Another source states that an aged physician in Virginia wrote to Dr Thomas Brooke, Hinde's mentor, asking Brooke to send a young physician to assist him in his practice. Brooke reportedly choose Hinde and "earnestly advised" him to "avail himself of the situation which was offered". Hinde accepted, but moved soon after to settle in Newton, now in West Virginia, where he met his wife. After their wedding Hinde moved again and settled in

Hanover County, Virginia Hanover County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 109,979. Its county seat is Hanover Courthouse. Hanover County is a part of the Greater Richmond Region. History Located in the wester ...

Physician to Patrick Henry

In 1765, after he settled in Virginia, Hinde became acquainted with

, one of the founding fathers of the United States, Samuel Davis, and

Lord Dunmore Earl of Dunmore is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. History The title was created in 1686 for Lord Charles Murray, second son of John Murray, 1st Marquess of Atholl. He was made Lord Murray of Blair, Moulin and Tillimet (or Tullimet) and V ...

. Two years later he married Mary T. Hubbard, settled near Henry, and became his family physician. His association with Henry and settlement in Virginia helped Hinde become acquainted with many of the leading members of society during the period. When Hinde first met Hubbard, he found her to "possess a great flow of animal spirits, full of humor, gay and lively inner temperament and disposition, with strong powers of mind, and at the same time active and sociable". The couple married on September 24, 1767. According to a biography written by George Coles in 1857, Henry's statesmanlike eloquence and political principles made a strong impression on Hinde and shifted him from being a staunch royalist to a "sturdy republican". Hinde took an active part in the American Revolutionary War, serving as a surgeon with Patrick and in various campaigns and battles. At the time of the 1775

Gunpowder Incident The Gunpowder Incident (or Gunpowder Affair) was a conflict early in the American Revolutionary War between Lord Dunmore, the Royal Governor of the Colony of Virginia, and militia led by Patrick Henry. On April 20, 1775, one day after the Battle ...

, Hinde was Chief Surgeon for Patrick Henry. His involvement in it was the turning point that led him to embrace the cause of the oppressed colonies against Lord Dunmore and the English royalty. The Gunpowder Incident was a conflict early in the

between Lord Dunmore, the Royal Governor of the Colony of Virginia, and

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

led by Henry. Hinde originally planned to take a front-line post in Henry's regiment, but when Henry was elected Governor, Hinde was instead appointed to inoculate all members of the continental service. Because of insufficient funds in the Continental Army, Hinde was forced to cover the costs of inoculations, which "seriously impaired his private fortune". One source states that Hinde amputated limbs during the war by the "cart-load". After the war, Hinde continued to live in Hanover County for many years, primarily practicing medicine.

Military land grant

After the American Revolutionary War, Hinde moved his family from Virginia to Kentucky, having received a large land grant for his services in the war. One source describes the land grant as follows:

At the close of the war, having drawn no part of his salary, and from his great skill as a surgeon having endeared himself to the Virginians, in settling up his accounts he was presented with a land warrant, to be located in lands selected in Kentucky, leaving a blank within the warrant for the number of acres to filled by Dr Hinde himself. The blank was filled with twenty thousand, and placed in the hands of Patrick Henry to select and locate the lands.

For undisclosed reasons, Henry was unable to complete the land grant to Hinde due to surveying difficulties, who then used his nephew Hubbard Taylor to go to Kentucky, find the location, and complete the transaction. Hinde gave Taylor half of the lands for this service. The land was in

Clark County, Kentucky Clark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,972. Its county seat is Winchester. The county was created in 1792 from Bourbon and Fayette counties and is named for Revolutionary War ...

, between Winchester and Lexington.

Conversion to Methodism

During his early years in England, Hinde was a member of the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

, but he abandoned the church as an adult and had become a

Deist Deism ( or ; derived from the Latin '' deus'', meaning "god") is the philosophical position and rationalistic theology that generally rejects revelation as a source of divine knowledge, and asserts that empirical reason and observation ...

. One biographer stated that for a time Hinde "took pride and pleasure in ridiculing Christianity". In later years, however, his religious views "underwent a radical change". In 1798,

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

ministers arrived in Hinde's neighborhood and began to convert people. Susanna, one of Hinde's daughters, converted, causing distress to the family. Hinde banished her from his home, and she went to live with her aunt forty miles away. However, this failed because the aunt had already converted, and Hinde's wife converted soon after. Hinde became convinced that the disorder was in their heads, and treated them with medical procedures of the day, such as a "blistering plaster to the whole length of the spine, which he left on for several days". Drake states that, through this "measure of violence, he hoped to deter her from further attendance at places of public worship". The procedures were painful, but his wife stated afterwards that "it was a punishment, but I never was so happy in all my life". Hinde later felt guilt for having banished his daughter and performed medical operations on his wife, and he converted to Methodism. His daughter returned home and his wife began attending Methodist gatherings regularly. Two of his daughters married traveling preachers, and another daughter converted to Methodism too. By the end of his life, Hinde was a devout Methodist. According to one account:

At another time he was taking a morning walk and met Gen. James Taylor, a relative by marriage, who said, 'Good-morning, doctor; where are you going?' 'I am going to heaven; where are you going, general?' The general, at that time, had some doubts about whether his road led to the same country, and made no reply; but it is hoped he found the way to everlasting life before he left the world.'

One of Hinde's grandchildren states that Hinde built "little houses of sticks and wood" where he would pray. The grandchildren called them "Grandpa's prayer-houses". Hinde could be heard praying from a "considerable distance".

Family

Hinde married Mary Todd Hubbard, the daughter of Benjamin Hubbard, an English merchant, and they were married for 61 years. They had eight children that lived to adulthood. His daughter Ann Winston Hinde married Richard Southgate on July 30, 1799, in Newport, Kentucky. Hinde and his family were members of the Grace Methodist Episcopal Church in

Newport, Kentucky Newport is a home rule-class city at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers in Campbell County, Kentucky. The population was 15,273 at the 2010 census. Historically, it was one of four county seats of Campbell County. Newport is a majo ...

. One of Hinde's sons was Thomas S. Hinde, who was a cofounder of

Mount Carmel, Illinois Mount Carmel is a city in and the county seat of Wabash County, Illinois, United States. At the time of the 2010 census, the population was 7,284, and it is the largest city in the county. The next largest town in Wabash County is Allendale, po ...

, and became a well-respected Methodist minister. Hinde's grandson Captain

was a successful businessman and riverboat captain. Charles was one of the principal investors in the

Hotel del Coronado Hotel del Coronado, also known as The Del and Hotel Del, is a historic beachfront hotel in the city of Coronado, just across the San Diego Bay from San Diego, California. A rare surviving example of an American architectural genre—the wooden ...

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...

, and inspired Frederick Hinde Zimmerman, Dr Hinde's great-grandson, to build the

Grand Rapids Hotel The Grand Rapids Hotel also known as The Grand Rapids Resort, was a hotel that existed outside of Mount Carmel, Illinois, in Wabash County, Illinois, United States in Southern Illinois from 1922 to 1929. The hotel was located on the Wabash River ...

. In his later life, Hinde lived with his daughter Mary McKinney of

Notes

References

* * * * * *Montagna, Dennis. "Benjamin West's The Death of General Wolfe: A Nationalist Narrative", ''American Art Journal'' (Volume 13, Number 2, 1981): 72–88. * *

External links

Dr Thomas Hinde Historical Marker
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hinde, Thomas 1737 births 1828 deaths People from Oxfordshire 18th-century English medical doctors English Methodists English emigrants to the United States People from Newport, Kentucky Physicians from Kentucky Physicians in the American Revolution American military doctors American deists American planters American gardeners History of Methodism in the United States Virginia colonial people History of the Midwestern United States American hunters American pioneers American explorers American folklore Tall tales