I am posting the obituary of Dr John Hedley (my great grandfather) that appeared in the British Medical Journal on 12 February 1927
Obituary.
JOHN HEDLEY, M.D.,
Past President, North of England Branch, British Medical Association.
THE death of Dr. John Hedley of Middlesbrough removes a veteran medical practitioner of outstanding character who was greatly respected by his colleagues and held for many years a prominent place in the public life of his district. He died suddenly on February 4th while on a visit to London.
John Hedley was born on January 5th, 1843, the youngest son of William Hedley of Ovingham, Northumberland. His father died when he was 12, and at 15 he was apprenticed to Dr. Aitchison •of Wallsend, taking at the same time his medical course at Newcastle, where he became house-surgeon after obtaining the M.R.C.S. and L.S.A. diplomas in 1864. He began practice at Middlesbrough in 1866 when the town was in its infancy, and saw ib grow to its present size. During the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71 he served with the Red Cross, and from the outskirts of Strasbourg saw the white flag of surrender. He returned to Middlesbrough in 1887, and took the M.D. of Durham University, relearning his Latin for the purpose at the age of 44. He was appointed surgeon to the North Riding Infirmary, and built up a very large practice in Middlesbrough and around it, acquiring a leading position professionally and in the social life of the district. He acted in various semi-official capacities as medical referee, chiefly on the owners’ side, in cases connected with compensation under the various Employers’ Liability Acts, and his decisions were hardly ever contested by the workmen’s side, for he was universally trusted by tho workers as well as the employers. He was certifying factory surgeon for the district, and only relinquished that post in his eighty second year, after fracturing his pelvis in October, 1924. He retired from practice in July, 1914, but resumed it in the following November, working practically throughout the war, in the absence of his successor on active servioe.
Dr. Hedley married in 1873, and with his wife started in 1887 a nursing service for the workmen employed by her family; they took the -chief part in developing this later into the Middlesbrough and District Nursing Association, which now acts for the whole town. He had an unusual power of absorbing fresh ideas and applying them to practice; and retained this until the end of his long life ; on the night before his sudden death he was discussing new medical knowledge with the greatest interest and intelligence. He had, moreover, a most remarkable clinical and
therapeutic instinct, and in his younger days was medically very much ahead of his time in such matters as fresh-air treatment and surgical cleanliness. In the late eighties he assisted in the Home Office investigation of the Middles-
brough pneumonia epidemics, and wrote an article about this in Sir Thomas Oliver’s book on Industrial Diseases. Another characteristic was his gift for making a friend of a casual acquaintance, and the vivid interest he took in everyone and everything he encountered.
In local public affairs Dr. Hedley played a distinguished part. He was elected to the Middlesbrough Town Council in 1886, and became mayor in 1902 and later alderman, holding the latter office until 1925. He was a J.P. for the borough and county, and a member of the Tees Conservancy Commission for many years. He was appointed by the Lord Chancellor chairman of the committed for recommending magistrates for the county borough of Middles brough ; and he was a member of the Insurance Committee and the Education Committee. To celebrate their golden wedding in 1923 he founded and endowed a scholarship at Middlesbrough High School, and on that occasion Dr. and Mrs. Hedley were presented by the local medical profession with a beautiful piece of gold plate. His wife predeceased him by almost two years, and he is survived by eight children; two sons and two sons-in-law are medical men. Dr. Hedley had been a member of the British Medical Association for a large part of his active professional life and continued in membership after his retirement, and he had held as President of the North of England Branch.
I am posting the obituary of Dr John Hedley (my great grandfather) that appeared in the British Medical Journal on 12 February 1927
Obituary.
JOHN HEDLEY, M.D.,
Past President, North of England Branch, British Medical Association.
THE death of Dr. John Hedley of Middlesbrough removes a veteran medical practitioner of outstanding character who was greatly respected by his colleagues and held for many years a prominent place in the public life of his district. He died suddenly on February 4th while on a visit to London.
John Hedley was born on January 5th, 1843, the youngest son of William Hedley of Ovingham, Northumberland. His father died when he was 12, and at 15 he was apprenticed to Dr. Aitchison •of Wallsend, taking at the same time his medical course at Newcastle, where he became house-surgeon after obtaining the M.R.C.S. and L.S.A. diplomas in 1864. He began practice at Middlesbrough in 1866 when the town was in its infancy, and saw ib grow to its present size. During the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71 he served with the Red Cross, and from the outskirts of Strasbourg saw the white flag of surrender. He returned to Middlesbrough in 1887, and took the M.D. of Durham University, relearning his Latin for the purpose at the age of 44. He was appointed surgeon to the North Riding Infirmary, and built up a very large practice in Middlesbrough and around it, acquiring a leading position professionally and in the social life of the district. He acted in various semi-official capacities as medical referee, chiefly on the owners’ side, in cases connected with compensation under the various Employers’ Liability Acts, and his decisions were hardly ever contested by the workmen’s side, for he was universally trusted by tho workers as well as the employers. He was certifying factory surgeon for the district, and only relinquished that post in his eighty second year, after fracturing his pelvis in October, 1924. He retired from practice in July, 1914, but resumed it in the following November, working practically throughout the war, in the absence of his successor on active servioe.
Dr. Hedley married in 1873, and with his wife started in 1887 a nursing service for the workmen employed by her family; they took the -chief part in developing this later into the Middlesbrough and District Nursing Association, which now acts for the whole town. He had an unusual power of absorbing fresh ideas and applying them to practice; and retained this until the end of his long life ; on the night before his sudden death he was discussing new medical knowledge with the greatest interest and intelligence. He had, moreover, a most remarkable clinical and
therapeutic instinct, and in his younger days was medically very much ahead of his time in such matters as fresh-air treatment and surgical cleanliness. In the late eighties he assisted in the Home Office investigation of the Middles-
brough pneumonia epidemics, and wrote an article about this in Sir Thomas Oliver’s book on Industrial Diseases. Another characteristic was his gift for making a friend of a casual acquaintance, and the vivid interest he took in everyone and everything he encountered.
In local public affairs Dr. Hedley played a distinguished part. He was elected to the Middlesbrough Town Council in 1886, and became mayor in 1902 and later alderman, holding the latter office until 1925. He was a J.P. for the borough and county, and a member of the Tees Conservancy Commission for many years. He was appointed by the Lord Chancellor chairman of the committed for recommending magistrates for the county borough of Middles brough ; and he was a member of the Insurance Committee and the Education Committee. To celebrate their golden wedding in 1923 he founded and endowed a scholarship at Middlesbrough High School, and on that occasion Dr. and Mrs. Hedley were presented by the local medical profession with a beautiful piece of gold plate. His wife predeceased him by almost two years, and he is survived by eight children; two sons and two sons-in-law are medical men. Dr. Hedley had been a member of the British Medical Association for a large part of his active professional life and continued in membership after his retirement, and he had held as President of the North of England Branch.
Posted by Nicholas Hedley, great grandson