A FAM1LY OF QUAKER DOCTORS
George Fox, a Quaker Merchant and shipowner, settled in Falmouth in 1762
(???). His descendants have played an important part in Cornish life
ever since.
George had eight children of whom one, George Croker Fox (1727-1781),
was involved in the family business interests: his career is well
documented.
A younger son, Joseph (1729 - 1784) became a Physician
practising in Falmouth. He married Elizabeth Hingston of Penryn; they
had eleven children.
Philanthropy has been an outstanding feature of Quaker life. It is
evident that Joseph was no exception. We are told that in 1776 "Joseph
Fox, new surgeon, took a small house in Poran Hill for harbouring sick
seamen and other poor patients" (1)
At the commencement of the war with France in 1778 Joseph held a part
share in two cutters. The other owners armed the vessels, holding
letters of marque. Fox disapproved and off-ered to sell his share, but
they would not agree. The cutters captured a number of French vessels,
but his partners tried to stop him receiving his share, but he insisted
and without ln-forming them placed the money in British Funds, a fact
which he kept secret. When peace was restored in 1783, he sent one of
his sons, Dr Edward Long Fox, to Paris, where he received a letter From
Joseph. In this letter he was instructed to reimburse the French
proprietors of the ships which had been taken. This proved complicated,
and while arrangements were being made Joseph died. An advertisement was
then placed in the Gazette in August of that year, saying that the
amount of £ 1,470 had been restored. A small sum remained in Edward's
hands, for the proprietors had not been found, and in 1818 he took the
money, together with the interest which had accrued, to Paris where he
placed it in a fund for the invalid merchant seamen of France. (3)
Edward (? - 1835) was one of Joseph's sons to become Doctors. Two,
Joseph (1754-1832) and Richard (1764-1841), both practised in Falmouth
and the surrounding district.
The young Joseph worked first at the London Hospital, and during that
time became friends with another doctor, Edward Jenner who was working
at St. George's Hospital. The dread desease of the that Century was
smallpox, and a number of doctors were trying to discover a cure. Many
had realised that dairymaids who had contracted cowpox were immune from
the smallpox, and considered that if a method of innoculating cow-pox
could be found, this might be the answer. Edward Jenner left Londbn and
returned to his home at Berkeley in Gloucester-shire. In 1796 he wrote a
paper on the subject after success when innoculatiny a young boy in his
village. In 1'798 he wrote a paper on the. subject. His method became
generally accepted in the following century.
Joseph Fox informed his cousin, Thomas Fox, (1747 - 1821) about these
developments. We are told by Hubert Fox (2) od a letter ca 1798 saying
that "Joseph Fox, now Physician at the London Hospital was a friend and
fellow worker with the great Dotor Jenner; through this connection
Thomas had many of the children in his factory treated" by innocculation
against smallpox. Thomas owned woollen cloth mills at Wellington in
Somerset.
Joseph left London and returned to his home in Falmouth where he
practiced medicine. He was Doctor to a merchant ship's Captain,
Christopher Buckingham, and to his wife, Thorazine, who lived in
Flushing. He brought all their children into the world, and one of them
later wrote that at the age of six he was sent to Trevissome Farm "to be'
innoculated for the small-pox". If he is correct this would be 1792. He
continues ''the operation was performed by a worthy Quaker, Dr Fox of
Falrnouth, and I was for the puncture, which was so suddenly and
unexpectedly made that I was saved all the pain of apprehension which is
generally greater than that of the wound itself." (4)
In 1798 Captain Yescombe of the Packat Service advertized Wood cottage
at Greatwood for sale, a propert which lay near the ferry crossong at
Mylor Creek. Joseph purchased the house, living there for many years
possibly until his death.
After Edward Long Fox returned from France in 1783 he seemes to have
remained for a short time in Falrmouth. In 1792 he wa appointed American
Consul, but handed this over to Robert Were Fox in 1794. He is reported
as having worked at the Bristol infirmary from l784 until 1816.
He had previously gained his Medical Degree at Edinburgh and wrote a
paper there in 1784 'Dissaertatio medica voce humana' (5)
At Bristol Edward earned a high reputation. It has been said that his
practice was 'enormous' and that he had the 1argest consulting practice
in the West of England. (6)
In the l8 th Century Quakers hard shown concern over the treatment
normally offered to mental patients, and in York some advanced work was
taking place. In 1794 Edward purchased a Private Asylum in Bristol. Five
years later he bought an estate of more than 200 acresar Brislington
near Bristol, and started to erect an Asylum which was to be an
extraordinary conception for that day and age. It has remained an Asylum
to this day, with the exception of a few years during the last War and
some after it.
In the l8th Century 'society ladies and gentlemen' would amuse
themselves with visiting Bedlam to enjoy the antics of the 'lunatics'
there. Even well into the 19th Century there is a report of a poor
wretch placed in a cage at Radruth Fair for the amusement of the people.
In the Asylums treatment generally consisted of punishments; the use of
straight-jackets, whips end chains, and the douching of patients in cold
water. George III, when his last illness commenced in 1810 was placed in
a straight-jacket, and left in it for ten days. It was during this final
illness that Edward, by then well known for his modern ideas, was asked
to attend the King but declined probably because his own Asylum, which
opened in 1806, was demanding all his energies.
Edward planned the design this Asylum with meticulous care. No detail
was too small for his attention. The place, which he called Brislington
House, was continued after his death in 1835 by his two sons, Francis
and Charles, who were both Doctors. They wrote a pamphlet explaining its
construction and the methods used. (7)
The house frontage extended to some 500 Feet, and stood on high ground.
The building was surrounded by a high wall, with the excep-tion of the
central house. "The door of the centre house is the only means of
entrance or of exit, and there a porter constantly attends, who keep the
keys of the different divisions; so that the patients can never be left
by their servants without his cognizance." A wall also divided the house
into two, separating the sexes, since problems had existed in Asylums
where the sexes were housed together. There was also a segregated
section for patients suffering Frau cornmunicable deseases. Each section
had a separate staircase.
Extraordinary care was taken over fire precautions. All strair-cases,
doors, joists and window frames were made of iron, and the floors were
made of a composition of stucco and plaster of Paris. Windows had no
bars, but instead painted iron Venetian blinds were installed inside the
windows, which also avoided the appearance of a prison.
Each section was divided into three to accommodate persons of different
social backgrounds.. Each had two sittingrooms, one for violent patients
and the other for convalescent patients, the latter mainly accommodated
on the ground floor so that they had access to the garden. These gardens
were enclosed by the high wall, but since they were on heigh ground
patients could look over the wall, receiving a feeling of space and
freedom, yet since the ground sloped to the base of the wall, it was
impossible to escape. To make it pcssible to exercise in inclement
weather, arcades were built in these gardens.
To cater for persons of great wealth, there were estate houses in the
grounds where they could live in the style to which they were accustomed
with servants, carriages and horses.
All this. Care and concern for every kind of person, and the new aproach
to treatment must have received a great deal of publicity, and it is not
surprising that Edward's reputation spread far and wide.
He beleived that insanity was alleviated by the way it was treated and
that some patients needed to be removed from circumstances which
distressed them. Very often they had taken a great dislike to some
person in their home, and were quieter when removed to live with
strangers. Environmental circumstances are still considered to be part
of the cause of some cases of mental disturbance.
His patients were left free, but under supervision, although attendants
were to be unobserved and instructed not to interfere with patients.
Living thus, unchecked, many of their various symptoms disappeared, and
patlents were seen to help each other, to the benefit of them all.
Physical recreation and exercise was considered important, and patients
could garden, help on the farm, play bowls, cricket, football, or play
musical instruments and "in the proper season, parties with greyhounds
extend their walks round the neighbouring country in search of game."
Indoors chess and other games could be played, and there was a billiard
room. A Library was avail-able, and should any wish to subscribe to a
circulating Library, this was arranged.
The employment of Attendents was undertaken with equal care, and the
Agreement of employment which had to be signed read: ''The Drs Fox
engage to give a month's wages, or a rnonth's warning; hut any departure
from thre above agreement, cruelty, improper language, or other
misconduct towards the patients, will warrant dismissal without
reference lo the above terms. How generous these terms would have seemed
at that time.
Concerned about patients who might be admitted and locked away to suit
their families, he insisted that two medical men should, separately,
examine a patient and sign a certificate of insanity before they were
admitted.
A report of a distressed woman in Camerton, when efforts were being made
to f ind her an Asylum shows the process of the day in such cases.
Attempts were first made ta get her father to pay towards her keep, and
then the local gentry were asked to subscribe. With additional weekly
amounts from the parish most of the money was raised. It was then stated
that they might "send her to Hindon or to Doctor Fox's at Brislington,
who only received fifteen shill-ings when Tyler was sent from Camerton
thither.'' It would seem that Dr Fox reduced his charges for the needy
poor. (8)
In the early 19th Century sea bathing became very popular and Doctors
considered it afficacious for many patients. Edward appears to have felt
that his establishment could benefit from such facilities He turned his
attention to the Bristol Channel purchasing the Knightstone Rock near
the village of Weston.There he build some excellent baths, and it is
thought he was responsible for attracting people to come to the village,
which was to grow intro the resort of Weston-suoper-Mare. In 1840 an
advert-isement announced: "These Baths, which form a prominent feature
of Weston, were erected by the late Dr Fox of Brislington andrank as the
principal. Every kind of bath will be found here including a 'plunging
bath' formed on a shelving rock, with small breakwater. The ladies and
gentleman baths are apart each having their dressingroomn and toilette.
There is a reading room overlooking the sea, where the terms for bathing
will be found and where the London and other papers as well as
periodocals, may be seen (6)
Another report states that Dr Fox spent £ 25,000 on the erection of
buildings at Knightstone."From the peculiarity of their site, the baths
can be supplied with pure sea water at all states of the tide, and are
in consequence, open daily, from six in the morning till nine at night,
Sundays excepted, when they are open from nine in the morning, and
again, exclusively for invalids, after six in the evening." There was an
"open and spacious swimming bath, in whicb the sea flows at high tide;
dressing rooms are attached." There were "hot and cold shower baths,
plunging, warm, dry, hot and vapour baths either medicated with sulphor,
lodine, chlorine, or otherwise.'' A cluster of houses nearby provirletl
furnished lodgings, with stables and coach-houses. (9)
It is tempting to imagine, that his brother, Joseph, had at at an early
stage encouraged the building of the hot and cold water baths wich once
stood on the sea wall between the two quays at flushing, There were a
number of such establishments in Corn-wall.
In 1827 Palriament was beginning to take notice of the problem of
'pauper lunatics and Asylums'. Lord Shaftesbury, always concerned for
the welfare of the poor, served on a sele Comm-ittee, of the, house of
Commons, and helped to get two Bills through the house to improve
conditions. Francis and Charles Fox say that it was in consequence of
their father's evidence before a Committee of the House of Lords, that
the custom of holding Divine Service in Asylums commenced. He stated
that "although he could not record any marked advnace in religion among
his inmates; still, during the service the deranged appearances are
suspended, and the patients tranquillized by the display of order and
decorum to such a degree, that the chaplain (curate of his parish) has
often expressed his astonishment ............" (7)
Edward is also reported to take an interest in the scientific
discoveries of the day. He is said to have practised "Mesmers methods of
animal magnetism, hypnotism on patients; anticipated the work of Pasteur
and Lister, and prophesied the transmission of coded messages round the
world." (6) Members of his family at Falmouth were involved in
scientific and other developments. His young cousin Robert Were Fox
(1787 - 1877) made a name for himself in the field of scientific
investigation, and many of the leading scientists of the day were his
friends. In 1840 Robert Were Fox became a fellow of the Royal Society.
When Edward died in 1835, Brislington House continued under the
supervision of his two sons. Their description of the Asylum ends: "its
principal merit is this, that when the lunatic enters these doors, hope
is not excluded: returning health of mind, convalescence and complete
cure, are not looked upon as hopeless events and useless expectations
... the Almighty has hitherto been pleased to bless thesew labours in
very numerous instances." (7
U.M. Redwood
1989)
REFERENCES
1. Old Falmouth. Susan Gay p. 87, 1903
2. Quaker Homespun. Hubert Fox, 1958, p.80
3. 'History of the Commoners' Burke, Article Fox
4. Autobiography of James Silk Buckingham 1934
5. Catalogue of Friends' Books. Smith
6.'Heralds' newspaper. May 1st 1953, Column 'Mendip Lore' including
excerpts from Diaries of the Rev. John Skinner (British museum Library)
7. History & Present state of Brislington House. 1836, Francis and
Charles Fox
8. Journal of a Somerset Record 1803 - 1854, 1822 Camerton
9. Wherat Visitors Companion 1847
