Liverpool has its own unique history and past. Today, it is a modern, beautiful city that tourists love to visit. However, it wasn’t always this way. There was a time when Liverpool was plagued by unsanitary conditions: the streets were dirty, and it was home to many poor people who suffered from constant illness. It was during this period that medicine began to develop actively in the city, with doctors and scientists striving to reduce Liverpool’s high mortality rate. Today, we will talk about one of the medics from the old city—James Dawson. Read more about his life story on the iliverpool.info website.
Education and Introduction to Medicine
James was born in Liverpool in 1778. This Liverpool native did not study at a medical university or train in a hospital. Instead, Dawson began his career as an ‘extra apothecary’ at the dispensary in the centre of Liverpool. At that time, this was a common training route for young men. Indeed, even as late as 1856, only 4% of doctors held a university degree.
As for James, in 1800 he was appointed to the position of librarian at the Liverpool Medical Library. Thanks to this role, he had the opportunity to read medical textbooks and absorb new information. He trained as an apothecary, or surgeon’s assistant.
In 1804, James offered his services as a surgeon’s assistant to the Liverpool Volunteers. It was during this period that he gained both theoretical and practical skills in surgical medicine.
Career Development
In 1805, our local man became a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons. He soon became known to the public as Dr Dawson.
James Dawson was registered at the Liverpool Dispensary between 1805 and 1821.
The doctor also had a surgical practice that spanned several decades. Dawson served as the Honorary Surgeon to the Liverpool Workhouse.
In 1833, he published a pioneering article in a medical journal on the treatment of spina bifida.
Later, the doctor became the president of both the Medical Library and the Lyceum, which were prestigious institutions in Liverpool at the time. In 1839, Dawson became a founder of the Vaccine Institution. He subsequently became president of the Liverpool Medical Institution, where he delivered lectures on surgery.
In 1843, the renowned doctor became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons.
In addition to his medical career, Dawson was also involved in philanthropy and was highly respected by his colleagues and the townspeople.
The Doctor’s Personal Life
James Dawson married Margaret Preese in Liverpool in 1820. It is worth noting that Margaret was part of a well-established gentry family in Lancashire who had once owned vast estates.
James and Margaret lived in several residences on Mount Pleasant. At the age of 55, the Liverpool native planned to retire from his surgical practice and build a house near Windermere. He purchased a plot of land at Low Wray in 1832. A few years later (the exact date is unknown), a huge mansion was built. It was a magnificent castle, complete with a ferry, a pavilion, a gatehouse, and several attractive boathouses on the lake shore. The nearby St Margaret’s Church was also built.
James would occasionally travel from his country residence to Liverpool to carry out his professional duties.
The couple died in their castle: Margaret in 1862 and James in 1875. They had no children, so the castle was inherited by Margaret’s fifteen-year-old nephew, Edward Preston Rawnsley.
And that is the life story of the respected Dr Dawson, who worked in Liverpool and built a successful career in our city.
We hope you found this article informative and learned more about this famous English doctor.