« The Cottage Hospital | Main | Reports from Dr. Andrew Smith, Medical Officer of Health. »
History of The Whickham Practice.
.
About to set out on the rounds. Doctor Andrew Smith standing on the steps of Rose Villa with Mr Turbittt (subsequently killed in the Boer War) at the head of his mount.
"The practice was founded in the late 1870s by the first Dr. Andrew Smith in Whickham where he bought a small, run down practice at Hillcrest, a stone terrace house on Fellside Road. He paid 50 pounds down and another 50 pounds in a years time for it. He soon began to attract patients and before long the house was too small to accommodate both patients and the beginnings of what was to become his own large family. In August 1883 he bought Rose Villa, a large house in the middle of the village.
As the years went by the practice expanded steadily and Dr. Andrew employed assistants to help with the increasing workload, making it clear that there was little hope of a future partnership because three of his four sons were expected to join him when they qualified at Newcastle Medical School.
When the Great War of 1914-1918 broke out there was a call for doctors for the front and Andrews three medical sons, Andy, Edward and Wilkie went into the R.A.M.C. leaving their father to cope with a very large practice without even an assistant to help him. He took it in his stride, having bought a motor car in which his eldest daughter Irene (who died in Whickham Cottage Hospital in her 99th year) drove him round on his visits to the widespread practice. At the end of the war his sons returned from their respective theatres of war, each one took over part of the practice.
In 1924 old Andrew died at Rose Villa in his armchair with a newspaper on his lap after a heavy day in the practice. His death occurred after a conversion of the old Rectory to a Cottage Hospital in which he and the Rector had played a major part.
Waiting for father. The doctor's son, Henry, holding his horse in readiness for departure on the daily visiting round. Henry, who is the father of Doctor David Smith, later emigrated to South Africa.
Wilkie came down from Burnopfield and took over the Rose Villa part of the practice. This was a most appropriate move in that he had been appointed G.P. surgeon to the hospital and dealt with many colliery accidents as well as operating a Tonsil and Adenoidectomy session every week with Andrew as anaesthetist. Wilkie had initially intended to be a surgeon. He was on the lower rungs of the consultant ladder at the RVI at the outset of the war in which he become a military surgeon and was awarded a Croix de Guerre by the Belgians for his surgical work for wounded soldiers.
The practice continued uneventfully throughout the 2nd World War with the three brothers meeting every week at the Cottage Hospital after the operating session until 1950 when Wilkie died as peacefully as his father, sitting in a chair at the bedside of a farmer at Hollinside Farm who had influenza.
Andrew Smith, having returned from active service in the Far East, had joined the practice in 1947 and now took over Wilkie's part of the practice and moved in to Rose Villa.
The practice continued to expand with the population as more and more housing estates were built around Whickham. It became obvious in the 50s that both Rose Villa and Stronsay were too small to accommodate the influx of new patients despite the addition of three more consulting rooms and a small secretary's room being built on to the West side of Rose Villa.
With considerable reluctance the partners decided to ask the health authorities to build a Heath Centre. It soon became obvious that the Heath Authority had little idea of what a good Health Centre should be like as the partners found out when they visited some of the Centres the Authority had built. Many hours were spent arguing about the sort of building the doctors wanted but in the long run it was worthwhile because it is the kind of building they wanted.
Modern Times. A family group outside the Burnopfield Surgery about 1922. The motorcar has replaced the horse; its proud owner Dr Wilkie Smith is at the left of the picture. Irene Smith is at the wheel, Josephine Smith (wife of Henry Smith, a non-medical brother of Edward, Wilkie and Andrew) on the running board, and Elsie Smith (sister of Edward, Andrew, Wilkie, Irene and Henry). The other woman pictured is may be to the right of the child may be Mabel Smith, wife of Wilkie Smith or she could be David Smith's nurse. The bonnetted babe is Dr David.
In 1969 the first cohort of vocational trainees joined their teaching practice."
Andrew Smith.
Comments
My mother, Pamela Taylor (nee Moon) was the niece of Wilkie Smith and spent much time at Rose Villa. I'm trying to find out who posted this article and in particular whether Andrew Smith is the son of the Andrew Smith who was the GP in Whickham in the 1950s/60s?
Posted by: Rob Taylor at May 10, 2007 8:59 PM
I read the comment by Rob Taylor with interest. My father was Dr David Smith, son of Henry Smith who was the non- medical brother of Edward, Wilkie and Andrew Smith (2). Andrew Smith (3) who was the gp in the 50s- 80s was the son of Andrew Smith (2). In fact the image of a child in the car is not Dr.Andrew Smith (3) but my father. The other people in the car are Irene Smith at the wheel, Josephine Smith wife of Henry Smith on running board,Wilkie Smith extreme left, and Elsie Smith ( sister of Edward, Andrew, Wilkie, Irene and Henry). The other woman is, I suspect, my father`s nurse as she is definitely not family that I recognise.
My mother Gill Smith is the last surviving Smith still resident in Whickham.
I suspect that these photographs may have been supplied by my mother as she has met quite a few people from the local history society and she has copies of all of these images.
If any one neeeds any more information about the Smith family I shall be happy to try to supply it.
Posted by: Jeremy Smith at October 2, 2007 2:45 PM
Further to my comment yesterday directed to Rob Taylor, I had a further thought that the lady immediately to the right of the child whom I thought may have been a nurse, could be Mabel, wife of Wilkie Smith.
The photograph was taken at the Burnopfield surgery which I think was Wilkie`s surgery and will date from around 1922.
Posted by: Jeremy smith at October 3, 2007 1:26 PM
Thank you very much for the information about the photograph taken outside Burnopfield Surgery. The text referring to this photo which appears on the History of the Whickham Practice article has been amended accordingly.
Posted by: Whickham Web Wanderers at October 4, 2007 8:38 AM