End of an Era

28/09/1963

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This Saturday was a day so many people did not want to happen - it was the last day the market would be held in the city centre. A weekly event since the twelfth century, it was now to be no more. Peterborians lamented that it was just not the same. A common complaint was that 'they' - the council - had 'transplanted the heart of the city and dumped it in Cattle Market Road'. Predictably, the younger generation had a different view: they thought it was a good move. There were all the mod cons and, best of all, it was covered and therefore dry. (Harper-Tee, John, 'The Peterborough Story', Peterborough Evening Telegraph, 1992)

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

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Alfred Caleb Taylor and the First X Ray Machine Outside London

1896

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Alfred Caleb Taylor was born in Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire in 1861 and came to Peterborough aged ten. He worked at the Peterborough Infirmary on Priestgate from 1880 as a dispenser. He also served as Secretary of the Infirmary from 1889 until his retirement in 1926.

Mr Taylor had a keen interest in photography and chaired the Peterborough Photographic Society. This carried over into an interest in X-rays being an early advocate of X-ray technology. In 1896 he designed and built his own equipment under the stairs in the infirmary. This device, the first X-ray machine in the United Kingdom outside London, was powered by accumulators. They were recharged at a local flour mill as there was no public electricity supply at that time. When an electricity supply was available in Peterborough, Mr Harry Cox, from London, was consulted regarding a larger installation. Many people made donations towards the new x-ray apparatus; Mr Andrew Carnegie, Peterborough’s first Freeman kindly donated £125 towards the installation. As with the photography of the time the images produced by the X-ray machines were positives rather than negatives.

Radiography

As the science of radiography was so new, the danger of exposure to X-rays was unknown. Taylor worked with the x-rays so often, that it badly affected his health. He contracted radiation poisoning resulting in the loss of four fingers, three on the left hand and one on the right. Despite this he never expressed any regrets and said,

“I have only done my duty, and if I have sacrificed bits of my fingers so that I am not able to tie up my shoes laces, I feel I have been compensated, for I have loved the x-ray work and its excitements. For all the trouble I had at the beginning I have been more than compensated by your appreciation, and although I have lost bits of fingers, I would still do the same if I had my life to come again.”

Alfred Caleb Taylor died on the 6^th of July 1927, a pioneer and martyr.

References:

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5982837 - Paul Bryan

Peterborough Museum

Peterborough Infirmary , x rays , Peterborough Photographic society , Mr Andrew Carnegie , Mr harry Cox , Freeman , Radiation poisoning , Alfred Caleb Taylor

Father Christmas Spends Christmas in Hospital

1890

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Alfred Caleb Taylor is best known for his pioneering x-ray work in Peterborough, and rightly so, but there is another story worthy of mention, that demonstrates his kind nature.

On Christmas Day 1890 Mr Taylor, who was a dispenser at Peterborough Infirmary, visited the children who had to spend Christmas in hospital. He dressed as Father Christmas 'with a large hirsute appendage of cotton wool'¹ or cotton wool beard. Unfortunately, as he was handing out presents from the Christmas Tree to the children, his beard caught alight 'and his moustache, eyelashes and eyebrows were singed off, and his face, ears and head were badly burned.'² Thankfully expert care was right to hand and he avoided any lasting injuries from the incident, as his later photograph demonstrates.

This event happened only a couple of years after a fire engulfed the infirmary, so it was fortunate that nothing else set alight and no damage occurred to the building.

References:

1. Bridport News, Friday 9th January 1891, p 7, col 3
2. North Devon Journal, Thursday 8th January 1891, p 2, col 5

x rays , Alfred Caleb Taylor , Christmas

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End of an Era

28/09/1963

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Alfred Caleb Taylor and the First X Ray Machine Outside London

1896

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Radiography

Father Christmas Spends Christmas in Hospital

1890

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Alfred Caleb Taylor and the…

Father Christmas Spends Chr…

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End of an Era

28/09/1963

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Alfred Caleb Taylor and the First X Ray Machine Outside London

1896

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Radiography

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Father Christmas Spends Christmas in Hospital

1890

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