The following are transcripts of records relating to Beaminster.  They provide examples of how poor people accessed healthcare in the 1830s, before Dorset County Hospital opened in 1841:

• Children vaccinated against smallpox, 1834
• Treatment at the Exeter Eye Infirmary, 1834
• Surgeons’ bills for treatments and operations, 1835-36

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Children vaccinated against smallpox, 1834

The following is a list of children (and, apparently, one adult – William BARRETT, aged 30) who were vaccinated for smallpox in 1834, paid for by the parish of Beaminster.  The list can be found in Overseers of the Poor, Beaminster, Workhouse (Dorset History Centre, reference PE/BE: OV 7/5).

[Page 1]
Children Vaccinated at the Parish Expence 1834 by Messrs. James & Thomas DANIEL’s
		Age			Age
Jane NEWMAN			John BARTLETT
…	Mary	7½	…	2 children	–
…	Joseph	4	Thomas WEBB
…	William	2	…	Jane	6
…	Susannah	1	…	James	4
Thomas STONE			…	Amelia	1
…	James	10	Joseph GEAR
…	Elizabeth	6	…	Mary	–
…	Mary Ann	4	…	John	8
…	Jane	1	…	Maria	5
Joseph CLEALE			…	Elizabeth	2½
…	Thomas	10	James DAW
…	George	6	…	James	1
…	Henry	3	John CALE
…	Charlotte	1	…	Mary	7
Joseph POMERY			William GREEN
…	Joseph	7	…	–	–
…	George	4	Thomas COX
…	Job	2	…	John	8
Ann APPLIN			…	Priscilla	3
…	William	5	Mary DYKE
Jeremiah BARTLETT			…	Harriot	7
…	Samuel	5½	Hiram BROWN
…	William	3½	…	Elizabeth	8
…	Henry	1	…	Mary	6
Samuel DUNN			…	Simon	3
…	George	7	…	George	3mos
…	Elizabeth	5	William GODSELL
…	William	3	…	Hannah	6
…	Sophia	1	…	Amelia	4
Elizbeth BARTER			James CROSS
…	Caroline	7	…	William	8
Emanuel ELLIOT			…	Rebecca	5
…	Mary Ann	3	…	Jane	2½
…	Robert	1	William POOLE
…	George	6mos	…	George	9
Joseph LIGHT			…	Mary Ann	6½
…	Harriet	10	James QUARREL
Henry CHUBB			…	Ann	11
…	Elizabeth	3½	…	Grace	9
…	Mary Ann	2	…	James	7
…	William	1	…	Sarah	5
James APPLIN, Junr.			…	Samuel	2½
…	Eliza	8	…	Maria	4mo
…	James	5	John CLARKE
…	Thomas	1½	…	William	9
			…	Eliza	6
			…	Eli	2
			Ann DIMENT
			…	Angelena	3
			William GODSELL
			…	One	–
[Page 2]
		Age			Age
George DAW Junr.			James DUNFORD
…	William	4½	…	Ann	4
…	George	2	…	George	2½
James PAUL			…	Jacob	1¼
…	James	7	John CLARE Senr.
…	Thomas	5½	…	George	7½
…	Elizabeth	2½	…	James	1½
Moses BUGLER			Richd. BUGLER
…	Edwin	5	…	Elizabeth	3
…	Ann	3	…	Susan	2mo
…	Selina	7mos	Thomas CASSON
John CHUBB			…	Sarah	3
…	Elizabeth	7	…	Thomas	1¼
…	Charles	5	Joseph MARSH
…	Daniel	2	…	Charles	5½
…	Jane	4mo	Daniel HANN
William DAW			…	Eliza	8
…	Samuel	7	…	Charles	5
…	George	6	…	George	3
…	Martha	3	…	John	9mo
…	Elizabeth	1½	John BUGLER
John POMERY			…	Joseph	1½
…	Mary	6	Lydia BURBRIDGE
…	Jane	4½	…	George	5
…	John	3	John PAUL
…	Henry	1	…	George	8
John GEAR			…	Ann	5
…	Jemima	6	…	Madelaine	1½
…	Sophia	2½	George PAUL
…	Emanuel	2mo	…	Richard	7
Joseph BARRETT			…	Henry	5½
…	Sarah	9	…	Mary Ann	3
…	Mary	5	…	Eliza	7mo
…	William	2	Saml. RENDLE
Grace PEARCE			…	Elizabeth	7
…	Grace	8	…	Charlotte	5
Peter BURBIDGE			Hester BARTER
…	Peter	4½	…	Aaron	8
…	John	9wks	…	William	4
Josiah QUARREL			Samuel PAUL
…	Harriet	9½	…	Eliza	8
…	David	5½	George BACON
William HOARE,			…	George	8
shoemaker			…	Henry	6
…	James	7	…	Elizabeth	2½
…	Sarah	6	…	Maria	12w
…	Richard	3	Rebecca MARCH
Philip CRABB			…	Walter	6½
…	George	9	…	Jemima	3½
Robert MEADWAY			…	Harriet	1
…	William	8	Thos. LOVERIDGE
…	Susan	6	…	Jane	4
George KEECH			…	Henry	1¼
…	Harriet	9	Willm. BRINSON
…	George	6	…	John	7
John MARSH			…	Thomas	3
…	Madeleina	6	…	Susan	5wks
…	Alfred	4	John HOUSE
…	James	1½	…	Susan	7
William BARRETT		30	Willm. DYKE
…	William	9	…	Henry	6
…	Ann	6	…	Richard	2
…	Catherine	3	Bryant MILLS
…	John	2	…	Bryant	7
Robert HOLT			Henry GALE
…	James	7	…	George	8
			…	Simeon	2½
			…	Jane	8mo
			Kitty MARSH
			…	David	8
			…	Isaac	6
			…	Susan	4
			…	Ann	2
			…	Samuel	1
			…	Barbra WEAVER	10
[Page 3]
		Age			Age
Moses GREENHAM			…		…
…	Isaac	7
…	Susan	6
…	James	1
Richd. TRUMP
…	Charles	7
Willm. BARRATTS
…	Eliza	7
…	Nicholas	6
…	Thomas	1
John PARKER
…	Harriet	9
…	George	6
…	William	2
Henry ALLEN
…	David	8
Joseph SAUNDERS
…	James	6½
…	Sarah	5¼
…	Elizabeth	3
…	Ruth	1¼
George ALLEN
…	John	2
James HILL
…	Caroline	7
…	George	5

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Treatment at Exeter Eye Infirmary, 1834

In 1834 Henry DYKE of Beaminster was sent to Exeter at the parish’s expense for treatment at the Eye Infirmary.  There are two documents recording this: a letter from the Eye Infirmary requesting payment for Dyke’s board and lodgings while he was an out-patient in Exeter, and a bill for his carriage from Exeter and accommodation.  Both documents can be found in Overseers of the Poor, Beaminster, Vouchers (Dorset History Centre, reference PE/BE: OV 3/8).  In one of the surgeons’ bills below, there is a reference to a cataract operation for a Henry DIKE in 1836.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

[Envelope]

[To]  Mr. Wm. CLIFT, Assistant Overseer, Beaminster

[From] N Z, Exeter Eye Infirmary

 

[Letter]

Dear Sir,

The money due for the board & lodging of Henry DYKE during the time of his being in Exeter as an Out Patient of the Eye Infirmary has not been paid.

Will you forward it to the Secretary Mr. WETHEY at Redfield & Co, or to the Eye Infirmary.

Yr Obit Servt

Saml BARNES

Exeter April 14. 1834

The sum is £1. 16. 0.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

 [Bill for carriage and accommodation]

1834	Beamr Parrish – to – Rt. GILL	£	s	d
Feby. 22	For Expences From Exon & at Acmn.	=	4	5
	For Carriage of Hy. DIKE	=	2	6
	Received Rt. GILL	=	6	11

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Surgeons’ bills for treatments and operations, 1835-36

The following bills were sent to the overseers of Beaminster by parish surgeons J. and T. DANIEL for various treatments, including cataract operations, cupping, treating fractures and applying leeches.  The originals are in Overseers of the Poor, Beaminster, Vouchers (Dorset History Centre, reference PE/BE: OV 3/8).

[Page 1]
The Overseers of Beaminster Parish
To   J. and T. DANIEL
1835
March	Reducing Wm. DAWs Childs Fractured
	Leg   Lotions &c	2. 2. 0.
–	Reducing Giles GODDARDs Fractured
	Hand   Applications &c	1. 1. 0.
Apr 7	Removing a tumour from J BUGLERs Child	. 10. 6.
22	Reducing John JACKS Fract. Leg &c	1. 1. 0.
May	Attending Wm. SKEATES and attending
	the Coroners Inquest on Wm. SKEATES	2. 2. 0.
June 2	A visit to Harriet STAPLE at Stoke
5	Do.	. 3. 6.
9	Do.	. 3. 6.
14	Do.	. 3. 6.
19	Do.	. 3. 6.
July 4	Reducing Mary HALLETs Sons dislocated knee	. 1. 0.
17	Reducing Wm. DAWs Sons Fractured Leg
	Lotions &c	2. 2. 0.
28	Reducing Samuel MILLS Fractured
	Leg   Lotions &c	2. 2. 0.
	Turn over	£12. 19. 0.
[Page 2]
	Brought over	12. 19. 0.
Novr. 1st	A visit to Mary TOY at Netherbury	. 3. 6.
2	Application of six Leeches to Thos. BUGLERs Son	. 6. 0.
4	Mary TOY a Visit	. 3. 6.
7	Do.	. 3. 6.
12	Do.	. 3. 6.
Decr. 3	Reducing Thos CHUBBs Sons Fract. Arm	1. 1. 0.
	Attending Henry PAUL from Jany 3rd to
	Jany 11th   Introducing Catheter &c	1. 1. 0.
Feby. 27	1836  A visit to Martha GUDGE Netherbury	. 3. 6.
29	Do.	. 3. 6.
	Attending the Paupers from Lady Day 1835
	to Lady Day 1836	40. 0. 0.
		£56. 8. 10
March 25th. 1836
Recd. J. W. DANIEL

.

It is clear from the document above that the surgeons billed the parish overseers annually (Lady Day to Lady Day).  In 1836 they presented one more bill (below), after which the Beaminster Poor Law Union became responsible for medical treatment of the local paupers.

The Overseers of Beaminster Parish
To   J. and T. DANIEL
1836
April 12th	Operating for Cataract on Henry DIKE [DYKE]	1. 1. 0.
–	Operating for Cataract of on Joseph GEAR	1. 1. 0.
27	Samuel STAPLEs Wife   Visits to Stoke	. 3. 6.
	Reducing Hernia &c.	. 10. 6.
29	An elastic steel truss	1. 1. 0.
30	Operation of Cupping on Moses GRENHAM [GREENHAM]	. 5. 0.
May 6th	Samuel STAPLEs Wife   a Visit	. 3. 6.
17	Amputating John COLEs Daughters
	thigh.    Lotions &c.	10. 10. 0.
	Attending the Paupers from March 25th
	to May 21st	6. 13.  4.
		£21. 8. 10
Received.
J. W. DANIEL
June 24. 1836