Committee meetings 1863-69

< Skip to previous volume of minutes

The following notes have been extracted from the Minutes of the Committee of Management 1863-69 held at the Dorset History Centre (NG/HH/DO(C)/1/2/3).

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

1863

Thursday, 1 January 1863

  • Edward John Hutchins employed as dispenser at £10 per year.

Thursday, 18 June 1863

  • Agreed to apply to Nightingale Fund for a trained nurse at £20 per annum. Nightingale Fund nurse to take charge of the male wards with a subordinate nurse.
  • Nurse Rickard to be moved from the male wards to the female wards, with a subordinate.
  • Sarah Short to be kept as general assistant to both floors and to do the washing.
  • The house surgeon to ask the medical officers whether “it would not be perfectly possible to revert to the former practice of having only one night nurse for the whole Hospital, except under special circumstances”.

Thursday, 2 July 1863

  • Permission was granted for the house surgeon to be absent for three weeks from Thursday next; Mr. R. Hawkins to act as locum in his absence.

Thursday, 17 September 1863

  • A request had been received from Mr. Shell of Dorchester for his son to be received as a medical pupil. The issue of accepting pupils was referred to the medical officers for advice.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

1864

Thursday, 10 March 1864

  • The present cook’s wages were increased to £14.

Thursday, 7 April 1864

  • Dispenser Edward John Hutchings’ salary increased to £15 from the beginning of the year.

Thursday, 15 December 1864

  • Resolved that a trained nurse should be obtained in place of Nurse Rickard who is incapacitated from a fall, and general debility.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

1865

Thursday, 5 January 1865

  • Anniversary meeting – Up to £20 to be voted annually to deserving nurses disabled by age or infirmity in the service of the Hospital.

Thursday, 19 January 1865

  • £10 per annum assigned to Elizabeth Rickard “who has been 13 years in the capacity of nurse, has always given satisfaction and is now disabled by infirmity”.

Thursday, 2 March 1865

  • Alfred Ensor (the only candidate) was selected to replace Mr. Evans as house surgeon.

Thursday, 16 March 1865

  • General meeting – Ensor was formally elected house surgeon.

Thursday, 6 July 1865

  • The Committee ordered that male and female patients should no longer exercise at the same time and that Jeremiah Rose of Sturminster should never be admitted to the hospital “under any circumstances” because of gross misconduct.

Thursday, 10 August 1865

  • “The Dispenser, Edwd. John Hutchings, was engaged for one year from the time of the ceasing of his 3 years engagement, which closed July 11th, at a salary of £30”.

Thursday, 2 November 1865

  • “The Matron was authorized to give £25 to a Trained Nurse from King’s College Hospital, if it be found absolutely impossible to obtain one for a less sum”.

Thursday, 16 November 1865

  • A cheque was written for Nurse Lillycrap.

Thursday, 21 December 1865

  • Mrs. Dancy empowered to offer the nurse from Cheltenham (Mary Powles) £20 per annum to be raised at the end of six months to £25 if she suits.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

1866

Thursday, 21 June 1866

  • It was agreed to offer Mr. Hutchings £25 and his maintenance in the Hospital for six months (not to be a precedent for the future).
  • Also resolved to obtain the services of “some young man” who should be trained to take his place.

Thursday, 28 June 1866

  • Mr. Hutchings accepted as long as the arrangement last one year. The Committee agreed.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

1867

Thursday, 10 January 1867

  • Patient George Randall was dismissed from the hospital for stripping the clothes off patient Joseph Hysom [Hessom?].

Thursday, 14 March 1867

  • “In consequence of the illness of the Porter, John Collins a convalescent Patient, was appointed to do the work for one week”.

Thursday, 18 April 1867

  • The death of the house surgeon, Alfred Ensor, announced.
  • John Stockley was selected on trial as porter for one month, subject to his testimonials.

Thursday, 25 April 1867

  • The Committee did not think John Stockley was fit for the job of porter, after considering his character.

Thursday, 16 May 1867

  • William James Bennett was selected as house surgeon (formal election on 28 May). He was the only candidate.

Thursday, 30 May 1867

  • “Nurse Dexter having been temporarily insane her friends were telegraphed for, and she was removed by them this morning”.

Thursday, 6 June 1867

  • Elizabeth Wyke was appointed assistant to the Matron on trial for one month at a salary of £20 per annum.

Thursday, 13 June 1867

  • New bye-laws for the role of house surgeon were agreed.  (These are set out in full in the original minutes – some extracts here.)

Thursday, 8 August 1867

  • Hutchings, the dispenser, last mentioned in the minutes.

Thursday, 12 September 1867

  • Mr. Bennett, house surgeon, resigned due to ill health.

Thursday, 19 September 1867

  • Announced that Mr. Bennett died last Saturday.

Thursday, 17 October 1867

  • Candidates for house surgeon:

Mr. Alfred Stitsman Bostock

Mr. Robert W. Ceely

Mr. Charles Whitewich Pitts

Mr. Frederick William Young

In addition three medical doctors were exclude because they were not members of the Apothecaries’ Company.

Thursday, 24 October 1867

  • Letter from the Dorchester School of Art requesting the loan of the hospital skeleton.
  • Mr. Bostock withdrew his candidacy because he did not have the diploma of the Apothecaries’ Company.
  • Miss Wyke, having left without notice, explained the circumstances to the Committee and was permitted to go and her travel expenses paid.

Thursday, 31 October 1867

  • Henry Welch, the present dispenser, should have a salary of £10 beginning from August 23rd.
  • General meeting – house surgeon election: Young (654 votes); Pitt (389 votes). Young elected by a majority of 265.

Thursday, 12 December 1867

  • Ordered to pay 3 guineas to Mr. Michael Miller for his assistance during the absence of a house surgeon.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

1868

Thursday, 6 February 1868

  • Porter (unnamed) gave notice that he wished to leave.

Thursday, 12 March 1868

  • Changes to the qualifications required for physicians, surgeons and the house surgeon.

Thursday, 27 May 1868

  • George Curme and W. D. Tapp resigned as honorary surgeons.

Thursday, 11 June 1868

  • Decided to hold a governors’ meeting to discuss whether to increase the number of surgeons.

Thursday, 27 June 1868

  • Governors’ meeting – George Curme elected consulting surgeon; W. G. Bacot elected honorary surgeon.

Thursday, 16 July 1868

  • Letters received from John Good and Alfred Emson offering themselves as honorary surgeons.

Thursday, 30 July 1868

  • General governors’ meeting – Good and Emson elected honorary surgeons unopposed.

Thursday, 26 November 1868

  • Dr. Cowdell to examine John Case to see if he has heart disease and whether this would affect his performance of the duties of porter.  [John or Job Case?]

Thursday, 10 December 1868

  • Dr. Cowdell said that Case was not fit to be porter.

Thursday, 17 December 1868

  • Resolved to pay Case a month’s wage.

Thursday, 24 December 1868

  • Testimonials received from Richard Travers for the office of porter.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

1869

Thursday, 7 January 1869

  • Gratuity of £10 paid to the clerk because of his increased workload.

Thursday, 28 January 1869

  • “The Committee saw some Candidates for the office of Porter; & selected Joseph & Elizabeth Summers – the former to come on Saturday week, on the same terms as the present Porter; & his wife to come as soon as the Cottage is ready”.

Thursday, 4 February 1869

  • Matron Susan Dancy tendered her resignation.

Thursday, 11 March 1869

  • Miss Bell selected matron on trial for a month. [Miss Bell took over in April 1869.]

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Skip to next volume of minutes >