Georgian Entertainment

12/07/1796

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A Peterborough Playbill give us another glimpse of life in Georgian Peterborough. It tells us that:

This present TUESDAY Evening JULY the 12th, 1796, will be presented a COMEDY called 'The SCHOOL for SCANDAL'. To which will be added a FARCE 'The ENCHANTED ISLAND' Or Free-born ENGLISHWOMAN. The whole concludes with an ELEGANT, GRAND, TRANSPARENT PAINTING of THE TEMPLE OF LOVE, Designed and Painted by an eminent Artist.

It tells interested parties that this week's schedule is for performances on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. I just wonder what was planned to happen on the Thursday. (Tebbs, H.F., Peterborough, Oleander Press, 1979)

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

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Dr T.J. Walker Appointed Surgeon of the Infirmary

1862

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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

Hospital , Peterborough Infirmary , Norman Cross , Museum Society

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Georgian Entertainment

12/07/1796

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Dr T.J. Walker Appointed Surgeon of the Infirmary

1862

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