HARRY MUNYARD BROWNFIELD

Transcription

1 HARRY MUNYARD BROWNFIELD 7. II. HARRY MUNYARD BROWNFIELD was born on August the 28th 1860, at 48 Canton Street in Poplar. 1 He was the second son of Samuel Brownfield and Ann Deane and was aged two when the family moved to Dock House in Rotherhithe in the spring of 1862 and his father became Deputy Superintendent at the Surrey Docks. 2 Harry was educated at Greenwich Proprietary School (founded in 1849), which was situated to the west of Greenwich Park in a building adjacent to the "Greenwich Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge". In 1873 when Harry was a pupil at the school, the headmaster was a Mr. James Robson and Henry S. Richardson was the secretary. 3 In 1874, Harry won the Solomon s Medal for English Grammar and Composition. In 1881, he was living at home at 97, Lower Deptford Road, Rotherhithe, and had started his medical training at Guy s Hospital Medical School, near London bridge 4. He was a strong swimmer winning cups at the Surrey Commercial Docks Swimming Club Sports in 1880 and

2 ` 232

3 233

4 In January 1887, Harry passed his examinations for membership of the Royal College of Surgeons of London and his name was included on the medical Register for England on June 28 th In August 1888, he was admitted as a Licentiate of the College of Physicians in Edinburgh, giving him the qualification to Practice of M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P

5 On January 8th 1890, Harry married GERTRUDE MARIA FEARIS in the parish church at Sidcup in Kent. Gertrude had been born in 1867, the daughter of Mr. WALTER THOMAS FEARIS a stockbroker and his wife EMILY MARIA NEWTON of Sidcup Park, Kent. The witnesses at the wedding were Samuel Brownfield, Alfred D Brownfield, Emily Maria Fearis and W.D.Fearis. 5 Emily Maria had been born in Middlesex, the daughter of JOHN NEWTON a printer and his wife Anna Maria. Emily had been christened on June 28, 1846 in St Alphege s Church., 6 London Wall (not Greenwich). She had married Walter Thomas Fearis a clerk on August 4, 1863 at St Paul s Church, Knightsbridge (on the certificate his name was spelt Faris) 7. By 1881, the family were living at 243 Queens Road North Side, Deptford St Paul, Kent and Walter Fearis had become a stockbroker. The Fearis s had two children who in the 1881 census are recorded as having been born in Camberwell; Walter B. Fearis, who was two years older than his sister Gertrude. 8 However, in the 1901 census she is recorded as having been born in the adjacent borough of Brixton. 9 The Old College, 35 College Street, Petersfield, Hants In 1888, Harry moved to Petersfield and became assistant to Dr Albert Leachman in a general medical practice. He became a partner in the practice in At first they lived in College Street on the corner of Barnham Road on the other side of the road from the Old College. Sometime between 1892 when their second child, Nancy was born and 1895 when he is recorded in the Medical Directory as being in practice with Dr Leachman and residing at The Old College ; Harry and Gertrude moved to 35 College Street, Petersfield. This is now known as The Old College, as it had been built as a result of the will of Richard Churcher (buried at Funtington) for the opening of Churcher's College in The school moved to its present larger buildings at the top of Ram's Hill in In the 1871 census 14 boys between the ages of 10 and 13 were registered at the school. Dr Leachman also lived in College Street at number 13, which by 1911 was called Fairley. 235

6 In 1902 Harry received a letter from Dr Leachman: After a full consideration of the matter, I have come to the decision to retire from the practice at the end of this year. If I had died before writing this letter you would have been bound by the agreement made when we entered into partnership in 1889, my executors in the exercise of their duty would have required you to pay a sum equal to two twice the gross annual receipts from my share of the practice on the average of the last three years and in addition to this a corresponding share of the drugs, drug bottles and etc. The two together making about To provide against such a contingency I now propose that you should have my share of the practice drugs etc. for 1000 pounds. I may add in here that by your admission to a half share of the practice in 1894, a year before that date settled by the agreement, you were I calculate a gainer of 180 (reckoning a year increased contributions to the expenses). On the 1 st of January, 1894 you also began to share equally in the actual receipts, the greater part of these in that year and some proportion in subsequent years being on account of bills incurred prior to This I take to be fully equal to 170. The two sums together come to 350. I hope that you will consider that this with the 700 pounds deducted from the purchase money will compensate for the extra work in the last 3 or 4 years, work which I am glad to say has always been cheerfully and ungrudgingly done in a manner which has largely contributed the harmony which has always subsisted between us since you joined in Yours sincerely, AW Leachman. 236

7 Dr Leachman retired on 31st of December 1902, Harry bought his half of the practice share and practice drugs etc. for In 1900 Harry was a Captain in the Volunteers and was in command of a guard of honour formed to welcome home Captain E. Pitcairn Jones to Petersfield on his return from the Boer War. Captain Jones had been in charge of the Naval Contingent at the relief of Ladysmith. 12 The 1901 census records Harry and Gertrude at No 35 College Street with their children Owen and Nancy. There was also a governess, Margaret A. Damprey aged 23, born at Baswick in Somerset and two servants Florence A. Mickham aged 25, born in Emsworth, a housemaid domestic and Ada B. Pragnell aged 22 from Freshwater, Isle of Wight, a cook domestic, in the house 13. Gertrude was a founder member of the Petersfield Women s Institute in This was one of the first Women s Institutes to be formed, Gertrude with Nancy and Owen in as the National Association was not started until about 1893 after the war. She was the leader of the Pierrette group. 14 From Hampshire at the opening of the Twentieth Century Contemporary Biographies edited and published by W.T. Pike. Brighton

8 In March 1907, Harry received a letter from Mr J. H Badley the headmaster of Bedales School. Mr Badley had founded the school in 1893 and it had moved to Steep in The first girls had been admitted in

9 This is a record of the respect and affection with which he was held by his patients. The 1911 census taken on Sunday April 2, shows (from Findmypast.co.uk): 239

10 Harry seems to have been a great traveller. The following information is taken from the Passenger List records for immigrants (coming in to England) on Ancestry.com and the emigration records (people leaving English ports) on Findmypast.co.uk. The records are not complete, with often half the journey missing, but in many cases it gives his correct age and in some cases his address as the Old College. The first record is in 1909, when a Dr H.M.Brownfield travelling by himself first class, joined the Carisbrooke Castle, a Union Castle Liner at Durban, disembarking at Southampton on September 18. In 1910 a Mr H.M.Brownfield joined the Union Castle ship Norman at Durban arriving at Southampton on September 17. In 1911 Harry embarked, travelling 1st class, by himself, on the Orient Line ship the Orsova which left London on the 1 st September bound for Australia. She called at Marseille where he disembarked. This was the first of what became annual, cruises that he made to the South of France. 16 In 1912 he again took the Orsova leaving London on April 12 th, this time he disembarked at Toulon. He returned from Toulon aboard the Otway arriving in London on April 27. There is also a record of him returning from Toulon later in 1912 aboard the Otranto which was coming back from Brisbane. He joined her at Toulon and arrived back in London on September 14. There is a record in 1913 of a Dr.H.M. Brownfield aged 52, joining the Prinz Eifel Friedrek at Algiers. The ship had left from Yokahama arriving at Southampton on April 13. On August 15, 1913 he left London on board the Orient Line Omrah, a smaller ship of 4482 tons compared to the Orsova s 6831 tons, for Toulon, this time accompanied by his wife and Mr and Miss Brownfield. On the return journey the party is recorded as Dr and Mrs Brownfield, Gertude and Owen Brownfield. This is obviously wrong as Gertrude was Mrs Brownfield and presumably should have been recorded as Miss Nancy Brownfield. They embarked at Toulon and arrived at Tilbury aboard the R.M.S. Otway on August 30. April 10, 1914 saw another departure from London, this time by himself again aboard the Otway (6689 tons) for Toulon. The S.S Orsova built for the orient line by John Brown & Co., of Glasgow in 1908 The war interrupted his trips, but on September 15, 1923 he again left London by himself for Toulon on board the Orsova. Arriving back at Tilbury aboard the Orvieto on October 9. This entry records that he was a doctor aged 62 of the Old College, Petersfield. His last visit to Toulon was aboard the even larger Ormonde (9053 tons) leaving London on February 29, He arrived back in London on March 27 on board the Osterley. He is again recorded as Dr H.M. Brownfield aged 63 of the Old Co llege, Petersfield. 240

11 It is difficult to understand how Harry could take so much time away from his busy practice and other medical appointments. He does not appear to have had a partner. He practised from his home at the Old College and his name was still in the Telephone book for 1927 as a medical practitioner. The number was Petersfield 34. The entry in Kelly s Directory for 1920 reads: BROWNFIELD, Lt. Colonel, Harry Munyard OBE, VD, MRCSEng, LRCPEdin. Medical Officer to the Cottage Hospital, Isolation Hospital, Bedales School and the Post Office. Medical Officer of Health to the Urban District Council and, Certifying factory surgeon. TN 34. When Harry retired due to ill health in about 1924, he and Gertrude moved to 18, Lennox Road, Southsea, Hants. 17 Harry died in St Mary s Hospital, Portsmouth on May 10th He is buried in Milton Cemetery. The record in the National Probate Register Index reads: BROWNFIELD Harry Munyard of 18 Lennox Road North, Southsea, Hampshire, died 5th November 1929 in St Mary s Hospital, Portsmouth. Probate London, to Gertrude Maria Brownfield, widow. Effects Gertrude Maria continued to live at 18 Lennox Road South until she died of cancer of the throat in the first quarter of Brownfield Family group about 1905 Standing from left: Owen, Gertrude Seated: Nancy, Leslie and Harry In front: Barbara Leslie as a midshipman, Harry as Lieutenant-Colonel and Owen as a Surgeon-Lieutenant in about

12 Dr Brownfield in his car in 1921 From an obituary in the local paper: Dr Brownfield very soon won the esteem of the inhabitants, taking a keen interest in the affairs of the town and with his wife sharing largely in its social life and exercising his talent as an amateur actor in many delightful entertainments, which they helped to organize for all sorts of charitable purposes. After a time he became a partner with Dr Leachman, was elected a member of the Urban Council and then succeeded Dr. Leachman as Medical Officer of Health. He took a very keen interest in the Volunteers and Territorials and served for very many years as surgeon in these forces reaching the rank of Colonel and receiving the Volunteer medal for long service. He was a pioneer of Red Cross work in Petersfield and the first Commandant. During the war period he did greatly valued service as Medical Officer to the military hospitals in the neighbourhood, and in connection with First aid and Ambulance activities (being a lecturer to the Hampshire County Council, an Hon. Associate of the Order of St John of Jerusalem and lecturer and examiner to the St. John's Ambulance Association) he received the decoration of O.B.E. Other Appointments: Staff medical officer, Petersfield Cottage Hospital Certifying Factory Surgeon Medical officer to the Post Office Medical Officer to the Petersfield Division of the Hampshire Constabulary Medical officer to the London and South Western railway Doctor to Bedales School Governor Churcher s College Sidesman St Peter s Church and Church Warden Past master of the Lodge of Friendship 928 of Freemasons, Petersfield Interests: Amateur dramatics and the Horticultural society. 242

13 Emily Fearis, Gertrude Brownfield, Daphne McCausland, Nancy McCausland in 1920 (Four generations) HARRY BROWNFIELD and GERTRUDE FEARIS had four children: (I). OWEN DEANE BROWNFIELD who was born on February 22nd 1891 at College Street in Petersfield. 19 (II). NANCY FEARIS BROWNFIELD who was born on December 29, 1892, at College Street, Petersfield (III). LESLIE NEWTON BROWNFIELD who was born on December 29, 1901, at The Old College, Petersfield. 21 (IV). BARBARA MARGARET BROWNFIELD who was born on October 30, 1904 at The Old College, Petersfield. 22 Nancy, Leslie, Barbara and Owen at Westmark in

14 Timeline of Family Events for Harry Munyard Brownfield 244

15 Sources Harry Munyard Brownfield 1. Birth certificate Poplar District, County of Kent, Harry Munyard Brownfield, August , No Birth Certificate Rotherhithe District, County of Surrey, Percy Brownfield 15 Dec 1865, No Prize certificate, August 1873, Greenwich Proprietary School, Greenwich local history library. 4. Obituary Petersfield Post October Marriage Certificate. Sidcup Parish Church, Kent. January 8, 1890 No IGI. CD set 7 Marriage certificate, St Paul Knightsbridge August No Census PRO RG11 piece 0710 fol. 123 p census PRO on line RG13 piece 1093 fol. 50 page Letter from Dr Leachman to HMB Aug 4, Personal collection. 11. The Churcher s Connection Colin Robinson Funtington Parish Magazine August Times Archive on-line September 19, 1900 p census PRO on line RG13 piece 1093 fol. 50 page W.I. Scrapbook in Petersfield Museum bedales/ Obituary Petersfield Post October Personal communication Jennifer Hayne. 19. Birth Certificate Petersfield sub district of county of Southampton. Owen Deane Brownfield, February 22, Personal communication Jennifer Hayne 21. Personal information 22. Personal communication Jennifer Hayne