Please rotate your device

Who Should Live in Castor

Facebook
Twitter
Google+

25/01/1913

Information

At the monthly meeting of the Peterborough Rural District Council on this Saturday there was a deep debate recorded by the Peterborough Citizen the following Tuesday under the headline 'Castor invasion by Peterborough house hunters - What Castor Expects.' Peterborough was expanding and new houses were desperately needed, leading to what we now call 'Not in my backyard' syndrome rearing its head. Castor parish council did not think it was desirable to erect the proposed houses and suggested a different type of house, each having a rood of land and being more suitable for widows and retired men. Cllr Goodyer argued that the new houses should be for working men, as there were already more cottages for the elderly than workers in Castor. Cllr Kemp commented that there were already plenty of cottages for widows and old men. It was workmen's cottages that were needed now. Cllr Lee responded that he did not think that, as agricultural people, they would not be able to pay the rent. The clerk, having heard these comments, concluded that it would be impossible for people to pay 4s 6d and rates. The meeting moved on with no decision recorded.

Taken from The Peterborough Book of Days by Brian Jones, The History Press, 2014.

Hospital , Peterborough Infirmary , Norman Cross , Museum Society

Search and filter

Time periods
Themes
Significant Events
People
Buildings
Objects
Decades
Curriculum Subjects
Places
Locality

Dr T.J. Walker Appointed Surgeon of the Infirmary

Facebook
Twitter
Google+

1862

Information

Dr Thomas James Walker was born in 1835 in Peterborough and was a second generation doctor. He had a thriving practice in Westgate, and in 1862 he was appointed to the post of surgeon at the infirmary, a post he held until 1906.

His work in the infirmary included pioneering research and exploration into laryngoscopies. He had studied laryngology in Vienna and whilst working in Peterborough wrote a series of articles on laryngoscopy in the British Medical Journal. 

The building of the operating theatre at Peterborough Infirmary was facilitated by a grant that Thomas Walker secured. As a surgeon at the infirmary he ensured the operating theatre was built to his specification, with tiled walls that could be easily cleaned with carbolic acid to minimise infection, and lots of natural light, to reduce the need for gas lamps.

He had other interests, notably local history and his archaeological finds and acquisitions formed a base for the Peterborough Museum Society collection, and he became the society's president in 1892. He was also interested in the Napoleonic prisoner of war camp at Norman Cross and wrote a book on its history, published in 1913. As all of the notable men in the city were at that time, including his colleague Dr Comissiong, he was also a member of the Freemasons and Rifle Volunteer Corps.

In recognition of all his contributions to Peterborough and its inhabitants, on his 80th birthday in 1915, he was granted the Freedom of the city, the first native born Peterborian to be so honoured. He died in 1916).

Reference

M. Thomas, Thomas James Walker (1835-1916): Surgeon and General Practitioner, Journal of Medical Biography, Vol 26:1, 2018 DOI 
https://doi.org/10.1177/0967772016637973

 

Related stories

  • Victorian Operating Theatre The first purpose-built operating theatre was open…
  • Miss Walker's Wedding Freda Mary Walker was the third daughter of Peterb…
Hospital , Peterborough Infirmary , Norman Cross , Museum Society

Discover, understand, and enjoy the rich and diverse stories which make the city of Peterborough what it is today.

ON THIS DAY…

Who Should Live in Castor
See the story
GET INVOLVED NOW…
Teachers Public


  • Privacy Policy
  • Contributors
  • Copyright
Copyright ©2020 City Culture Peterborough. All rights reserved.
Log In Create account
  • Before people
  • First Settlers
  • Romans
  • Saxons, Vikings & Normans
  • Medieval
  • Tudors & Stuarts
  • Markets to Railways
  • Brick Town to New Town
  • Before people
  • First Settlers
  • Romans
  • Saxons, Vikings & Normans
  • Medieval
  • Tudors & Stuarts
  • Markets to Railways
  • Brick Town to New Town
Download acrobat reader