Medical Fund Society – Page 2 – Radnor Street Cemetery

In 1887 the GWR Medical Fund Society appointed a dental surgeon to the newly established dental clinic. Apparently, by the end of that year he had pulled out more than 2,000 teeth.

What happened to those 2,000 teeth!

In 1872 Mr Verrier, a dentist with a practice in Bridport, advertised his new method of adapting artificial teeth. Mr Verrier soon made his way to Swindon where he was employed at the GWR Hospital.

Now I’m not implying that the over zealous tooth puller and Mr Verrier with his artifical gnashers are one and the same person, but did the aforementioned dentist have an ulterior motive for removing so many Swindon teeth? It does make you wonder.

Mr Verrier had a very interesting life and career. For one thing, in 1907 he patented an ‘Improved Protective Shield or Band for Pneumatic Tyres’, which is pretty far removed from dentistry.

Alfred Bult Verrier was born in about 1837 in Taunton, Somerset, the son of George Verrier, a Post Office clerk and his wife Selina. By 1851 he was living in Shoreditch Road, Taunton with his mother and aunt. But at the time of the 1861 census he was missing, most probably because he was living in St. Petersburg. He married Elizabeth Hirschfeld on June 2, 1859 at the British Chaplaincy, St Petersburg, Russia and the couple had two children. Following Elizabeth’s death (presumably) he married Sarah Margaret Blackburn on April 16, 1865 also at the British Chaplaincy, St. Petersburg, Russia.

The couple returned to Britain soon after their marriage and in 1865 Alfred Bult Verrier placed an advertisement in the Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette

Mr Alfred Bult Verrier, L.D.S.,

(Royal College of St. Petersburgh,)

Dentist

Informs the Clergy, Gentry, and Public, that he has taken up his residence at Bridport, and solicits the patronage of all who may require his aid.

Mr A.B.V. will be prepared to receive patients on Saturday, December 23^rd, at Mr F. Bartlett’s, opposite the Post-office, Bridport.

Mr V. will visit Lyme Regis on Friday, January 5^th, at Mrs Davey’s, Confectioner, Broad-street, and Beaminster on Thursday, January 11, at Mrs Meech’s Church-street, continuing his visits at each place fortnightly.

Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette – Tuesday 26 December 1865.

At the time of the 1871 census Alfred and Sarah were living at Chards Mead, Bradpole, Bridport with their five children, George Alfred 5, Alide 4, Lillah 3, Walter Ralph 2 and 3 month old Claude Blackburn. In 1881 they were living at Welcombe Regis, Weymouth, now with eight children.

By 1888 Alfred was living in Swindon, where he advertised in the Swindon Advertiser on June 2, 1888.

17, Bath Road, Swindon

Mr Verrier wishes to intimate to his Patients that he maybe consulted professionally on Fridays, at the above address.

And then I lose Alfred at the time of the 1891 census. It may be a transcription error that makes him difficult to find. Although I found Sarah, still married, but ‘living on her own means’ without her husband in Preston, Weymouth with four of her children Adele 23, Zillah 22, Margaret 17 and 10 year old Aldus. Had the marriage broken down?

Two of Alfred’s sons followed him into dentistry and their details, along with Alfred’s, are recorded in The Medical Directory, 1915.

Verrier, Alfred Bult, “Windermere House” Swindon, Wilts. – L.D.S. R.C.S.I. 1879: (Dub.) Dentist GWR Hosp. late Dentist Bridport Cott. Hos. Author, “On Ventilation;” “Continuous Gum Facings,” Dent Jl. 1873; “Mineral Inlay,” Ib. 1879. Inventor of the Continuous Gum Facing Process as applied to Vulcanite; Mineral Inlay & Tooth Crowns; Furnaces for Continuous Gum Work

Verrier, Claude Blackburn, “Windermere House,” Swindon Wilts – L.D.S. R.C.S.Ed. 1905 (New Sch.Med. & Dent. Hosp. Ed.); Mem. Brit. Dent. Assn.

Verrier, Walter Ralph le, 32 Wood St., Swindon, Wilts. L.D.S. R.C.S. Ed. 1898; (Ed).

The Medical Directory, 1915.

Alfred died at his home 54, Westlecott Road aged 84 years in 1921. He was buried in Radnor Street Cemetery on April 6, 1921 where he lies alone in grave plot E7614.

So many facts about Alfred Bult Verrier’s life remain unknown, including whether he was the dentist who loved pulling teeth in the GWR dental clinic.

Images published in A Century of Medical Service – The Story of the Great Western Railway Medical Fund Society 1847 to 1947 by Bernard Darwin and published in 1947.

The GWR Company doctors came and left, but the Swinhoe family of physicians were a constant presence from 1859 until 1918.

George Rodway Swinhoe was born on December 15, 1867 at 4/5 London Street, a property in the railway village which served as both accommodation for the GWR company doctor and as a surgery. George was the sixth child and first son of George Money Swinhoe and his wife Diana.

A member of the Royal College of Surgeons (England) and a Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians (London) Dr George Rodway Swinhoe was appointed to the medical staff at the GWR in 1893. His name appears in the Register of Staff alongside such railway luminaries as Charles Benjamin Collett, Chief Mechanical Engineer; Wm Arthur Stanier, Principal Assistant to the Chief Mechanical Engineer and Frederick George Wright, Chief Assistant Locomotive and Carriage Superintendent.

In 1894 he married Mary Canning Gertrude Glass and the couple had two daughters.

Dr Swinhoe died at him home on November 10, 1929. The following obituary was published in the North Wilts Herald.

Death of Dr. G. Rodway Swinhoe

Popular Swindon Medical Man

Useful Career

Dr George Rodway Swinhoe, of The Close, Church Place, Swindon, passed peacefully away at his residence at 6.40 on Sunday evening.

He had been in ill health for some time, but was only taken seriously ill a week ago. On the previous Monday he was engaged in his professional duties as consulting surgeon and examiner to the GWR Company at Swindon.

Dr Swinhoe was 61 years of age and had lived in Swindon practically all his life. “Roddy” Swinhoe, as he was popularly known to a host of friends, was a son of the late George Money Swinhoe, who came of a very old Northumbrian family.

Dr. G.M. Swinhoe was born in Calcutta, and he went through the Crimean War, but came out of the ordeal unscathed. He came to Swindon as chief medical superintendent on the GWR Medical Fund staff, on the special recommendation of the late Sir Daniel Gooch.

Appointed to the Staff.

At a later period the medical staff comprised Drs. Swinhoe, Howse and Bromley. The last named died in 1894, and Dr. G. Rodway Swinhoe was then appointed to the staff. Dr. Howse retired in 1899, and Dr Rodway Swinhoe became chief assistant to his father, whilst his brother, the late Dr. Astley Swinhoe, became third assistant.

The father and two sons carried on the three chief positions on the GWR Medical Fund staff til 1905, when Dr. Astley Swinhoe died.

In 1908 Dr George Money Swinhoe died, and Dr. G. Rodway Swinhoe was appointed to the office of Chief Medical Officer, a position which he held till the year 1917.

Dr “Roddy” Swinhoe, who was the eldest of a large family*, was a zealous and most able physician and surgeon. He was a member of the Royal College of Surgeons (England) and a Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians (London). His post on the GWR Medical Fund staff and with the GWR was an onerous and responsible one.

Services During the War

During the war Dr “Roddy” rendered valuable medical services. He was previously in the old Swindon Volunteer Corps, afterwards taken over by the Wilts Territorials. Then he was promoted to the rank of Major in the RMTC.

In Charge of Labour Battalion

For a period of the war Dr. Swinhoe was in charge of a Labour Battalion in the Park and Drill Hall. Later he was in charge of a private military hospital at Bowood, Calne, which was placed at the disposal of the authorities by the late Lord Lansdowne.

Dr Rodway Swinhoe was also a keen worker in connection with the GWR St. John Ambulance Association, and was the experienced lecturer to the classes for a number of years. For his services he was, on his retirement, made an Honorary Associate of the Grand Priory of the Order of St John of Jerusalem.

Interest in Sport

Always a lover of clean, good sport, Dr. Roddy was closely identified with the Swindon Amateur Swimming Club, the Swindon Amateur Athletic Association, the Gymnastic Societies, and many other sports associations. In his younger days fishing and shooting were his hobbies, and he used often to tell some good stories at dinners of various societies to which he was always invited.

The Funeral

The funeral took place on Wednesday.

The first portion of the service was conducted in St. Mark’s Church by Canon A.G. Gordon Ross (vicar). Canon Ross also read the committal sentences at the graveside in Radnor street cemetery.

A long list of mourners included family members, and representatives from the GWR Company and the Medical Fund Society.

Many beautiful floral tributes were placed on the grave.

The funeral arrangements were carried out by Mr A.E. Smith, of Gordon Road.

North Wilts Herald Friday, November 15, 1929

*He was the 6^th child but the eldest son

Dr George Rodway Swinhoe was buried in a large grave plot numbered E8228/29/30 which he shares with his parents and three brothers.

Category: Medical Fund Society

Alfred Bult Verrier – dental surgeon

Dr George Rodway Swinhoe – GWR Company doctor