General Practitioner letters after name between 1851-1871

[Lilygirl]

Hi folks,

I've got a little problem.
I can't find my rellie in the 1861 census and am trying to look from all angles to work out where he might have got to!!!

In 1851 Samuel BEECROFT age 30 born Knutsford is a General Practitioner Medicine -  address is Hyde Lane, Cheshire, and has these letters after his listed occupation.
Am wondering if anyone can shed some light on what they stand for? or where he might have studied to get them??

General Practitioner Medicine MRCS LHOL

In 1871 he's listed at 34 Church St, Hyde as age 50 Surgeoen FRCS England

Any idea where he'd be likely to be between 1851 and 1871? He got married in 1854 Manchester Cathedral. His children born between 1854 and 1872 were all listed as born in Hyde or chr in Hyde in other census and all at regular intervals.

All suggestions appreciated.
Lilygirl.

[linmey]

Hi Lilygirl,
  MRCS is membership of the Royal College of Surgeons and obviously by 1871 he had gained his fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons. A very well qualified GP I would say.

Not too sure about the LHOL but I would suggest that the L may stand for Licentiate. I will check on that one. I expect someone will be able to help you with where he trained.

Best wishes  Linda.

[EDO]

Hello LilyGirl,

This may help with your ancestor's 'post nominals' -

Upon graduation and acceptance by his professional colleagues, Samuel became a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons [MRCS]
After some further period 5 [even10] years of competent practise, his professional colleagues would have conveyed upon him the honour of a Fellowship of their College of Surgeons [FRCS].

I have no suggestion in regard to LHOL - perhaps a License of some type.

Hope that helps

EDO

[jorose]

The Times, Friday, Jun 19, 1857; pg. 6; Issue 22711; col F
House Of Commons, Thursday, June 18.

In Favour of Mr Headlam's Medical Bill: by Mr R. N. Phillips, from Mr James M'Gettigan, Mr Jonathan Shaw, Mr Samuel Beecroft, and Mr Frederick Tinker, all of Hyde, Cheshire.

The Times, Friday, Oct 17, 1856; pg. 5; Issue 22501; col B
The following members of the college, having been elected Fellows at previous meetings of the Council, were admitted on the 16th inst.:
(list of names including) Samuel Beecroft, Hyde.

He also appears in an 1853 directory on www.historicaldirectories.org as a surgeon in Hyde Lane, Hyde.

Have you tried just searching in Hyde on his first name and approximate birthdate? Sometimes names get terribly mangled, and it does appear as if he was pretty well settled in Hyde.

[Lilygirl]

Hi there,
Wow that's cool thanks for that info.
How/where did you find that?
Oh to be a fly on the wall have to wonder what he was in favour of!!!

I don't have access to the 1861 census so was relying on lookups. Have posted a couple of times over the years but still no luck.
They have 5 kids so would have thought one of the names would have turned up something.
Samuel born 1820 Knutsford, Cheshire,
wife Sarah b 1830 Manchester
children
Mary chr 1854
Katherine chr 1856
Caroline chr 1857
Alice chr 1859
Emily b 1860
al born/chr Hyde and Stockport.

Thanks againg anyway it's always great to find out any little snippets at all!

Still curious to find where he would have studied.

Have a good day
Lilygirl.

[behindthefrogs]

Surely in those days he would have studied at the Royal College of Surgeons which is close to Lincoln Inns Fields in London.

He may have studied previously for a degree at one of the Universities.  You should be able to check Oxford and Cambridge at your nearest major reference library.  They should hold the Almuni.

The entry in the Times seems to cut out the other possibility that his MRCS was from Edinburgh.

The other point is that your ancestor was qualified as a surgeon one up from a general practitioner

David 

[Lilygirl]

Hi
thanks for that.

Do you have any idea how long he could have studied for?
One of his sons was a doctor too. One census shows him away studying from about age 14 but not sure if that's medicine or boarding school
Do you know if he had to study again so to speak to become a surgeon? or is it just something he'd have 'practised!''??

thanks again
Lilygirl.

[behindthefrogs]

Have a look at this site it gives a bit of background

http://www.rcseng.ac.uk/about/history.html

I am a bit confused as to how far things had changed by 1850.  In the 18th century one of the few individual subjects which could be studied at University was medicine and medics qualified either by going to university or by working with another doctor and getting the qualification by recommendation.

The surgeon barbers were a normal apprenticeship and that was carried on by the surgeon's company.  Eventually the surgeons drew their membership from those who had already qualified as medics but I am not sure when this switch happened.  It didn't happen for the dentists who I believe branched out from the surgeons.

David

[CU]

Hi
If he was a non comfirmist he would have to go to Scotland to study. Only Church of England could go to Oxford. One of mine who live Stockport in the 1830's went to Edinburgh. Universities hold their own records on students.