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Frederick Joshua Beardmore was the second son of Joshua Beardmore
of Green End House, Hemel-Hampstead, London.
Early in 1842 Frederick Beardmore entered into partnership
with
George May Lee,
opposite the Wesleyan Church in High St West Maitland, however this partnership
was dissolved in February 1842. Dr. Beardmore continued to practice
at the same residence, holding himself responsible for any debt incurred by the
late partnership. He advertised his services stating that he was a 'Member of
the Royal College of Surgeons, London and a legally qualified Practitioner of
New South Wales who had received his medical education at the London University
and resided eight months in
Paris in the diligent pursuit of his profession.' His diploma and
certificate from the Board of Sydney with others from the Professors
of the London University and some of the first Surgeons in Paris
were open to the inspection of any person who wished to see them.
The marriage of Frederick Joshua Beardmore and Eleanor Nicholls
took place in the Presbyterian Church in Maitland
in 1843 and by October Eleanor had given birth to their first son Frederick
In October 1844 Dr. Beardmore attended
Joseph Ferris who had been run over by his own bullock dray near the Long Bridge
in Maitland. Ferris had fallen from the dray while attempting to strike one of
the bullocks. Dr. Beardmore wasn't called until the next morning and as
with many of the accidents involving bullock drays, there was little he could
do. Ferris died from his injuries that evening.
Frederick Beardmore was probably a familiar
site in the township of Maitland attending accidents and house calls in a second
hand gig led by his chestnut horse. In June 1845 he attended
Henry Incledon Pilcher
who had suffered a stroke. Mr. Pilcher, a forty five year old
solicitor, had collapsed suddenly and both Dr. Beardmore and another local
doctor,
Dr. Sloane
were called.
Pilcher was a leader in the town and had known his medical
attendant for years.(5). The two Doctors consulted as to
treatment however to no avail as Pilcher died later that evening. A luckier
patient was
George Glew who was treated by Dr. Beardmore after almost drowning
when he rode his horse into a deep part of a nearby creek. Glew survived,
although he continued to ail for some time.
In March 1846 Eleanor Beardmore gave
birth to another son Francis.
(Francis died in Rockhampton in 1913.)
In
January 1847, the practise was moved to Mr. Gorricks buildings (three doors from
Henry Reeves hotel and opposite Mr. Owen's Stores. In May 1847 he decided to move
the practice from West Maitland to Morpeth. He
resigned from his position as visiting surgeon at
Maitland Hospital
in July of that year and commenced private
practice next door to the
Morpeth Hotel. By September of that year he had
also established a retail shop for the sale of drugs.
He sold an assortment of other goods including hat brushes, tortoiseshell combs,
camphorated tooth powder, pomatum, bears' grease, cold cream, bears' marrow and
Essence of lavender.
Perhaps this was not a successful
venture for by January of the following year he had decided to leave the
district for South Australia and commenced selling his household furniture etc
by auction. The following advertisement appeared in the Maitland Mercury:
'Jeremiah Ledsam is honoured with
instructions from Dr. F.J. Beardmore, preparatory to his departure for Adelaide,
to sell by public auction, at his residence in High Street, West Maitland on
Tuesday 1 February 1848 at 12 o'clock, a quantity of excellent household
furniture consisting of Cane seated chairs, dining and other tables, sofas,
superior 4 post bedstead, children's bed, wash hand stands, parlour grate,
fender, Kitchen utensils of the best description, Shop fixtures, -
Counter, nest drawers, shelves, glass cases, patent scales etc after which a
superior second hand gig, a good gig harness, brass mounted. One chestnut horse,
4 years old; its paces are good and is an excellent gig horse. One large black
pony 6 years old. walks fast and trots quick. Both horses are of great
endurance, and of perfect docility of temper. Sale in consequence of the
proprietors determination to proceed forthwith to Adelaide .
It is not known whether the Beardmores travelled to Adelaide, however a daughter
Fanny, was born to Frederick and Eleanor on 8th March 1849 at North Shore,
Sydney, New South Wales.
The family returned to Maitland where Beardmore resumed his
practise and was again associated with the Maitland hospital. He was reimbursed
13/6d by the hospital for the purchase of a stethoscope in 1851 and the leeches
he provided for the hospital added 4/- to his income in July of that year
Frederick Beardmore died 8 December
1853 at his residence in West Maitland leaving Eleanor with four children to
raise. The Maitland Mercury carried the following account of his death:
' Suicide of Mr. Beardmore, Surgeon - On Thursday morning early
great sensation was produced in West Maitland by the statement that Mr.
Frederick Joshua Beardmore, surgeon, an old and respected resident, had
committed suicide. Mr. Beardmore had for many years successfully practised his
profession in Maitland, but latterly had been at times afflicted with slight
illness, which produced great depression of spirits. For the last three months
this had been the case more particularly, although few had taken any notice of
his occasional expressions that his life was a burthen to him, that he would be
unable to provide for his family, etc., He was during the last few weeks under
medical treatment, and had been too unwell to practise much himself, although he
saw a patient so lately as Saturday last. ON Wednesday he continued very much
depressed in spirits, and remained in bed nearly all day, having had leeches to
his head, but talked quite collectedly. On Thursday morning, after six o'clock,
he got up and partly dressed himself, and went down stairs into his bank yard;
he was there seen and spoken to by his adjoining neighbour, and he returned into
the house; and in a few minutes afterwards Mrs. Beardmore, going down stairs to
answer a knock at the front door, was shocked to find her husband lying on the
sofa in the parlour with his throat cut, and the floor covered with blood. Mr.
Beardmore was still alive, but could not speak. Medical assistance was instantly
sent for an obtained, but in a few minutes Mr. Beardmore expired. An inquest was
held on the body the same day, by Mr. Parker, and a verdict returned that he
died from a wound inflicted by his own hand, while laboring under a fit of
temporary insanity. Notwithstanding considerable eccentricity of manner, Mr. Beardmore was much respected as a man of kindly disposition, and of strict
probity and integrity, and a very general feeling of sorrow is expressed for the
loss sustained by his bereaved wife and four young children.'
Eleanor died in Cooktown, Queensland in July 1883 aged 70
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