Part 8 Dr Herbert Roby Harris (1832 – 1874)…bachelor and surgeon

cont......Part 8  The Harris family of Derbyshire – pioneers of the Swan Valley,  Western Australia  from 1833.

Herbert Roby Harris was baptized in Stoke Newington St Mary on 5^th Feb 1832. This makes him an infant when he departed England with his parents for the new colony.

He grew up in the new colony with all the challenges it brought. He was close in age to his nephew John Strelley Carsluke Yule.  As Herbert’s sister Lucy had died in childbirth John was cared for by his grandmother. John and Herbert would have been more like brothers.  Herbert  was later to follow in his father’s footsteps becoming a Surgeon- general practitioner and Member of Royal College of Surgeons. Harris studied medicine at Manchester Royal School of Medicine and MRI and qualified in 1859. It is not known whether he spent time as a doctor in Western Australia before his mother and sisters’ return in 1860.

By 1861 he was practicing medicine aged 29. The English census shows him as a Surgeon living in Bury, Lancashire.

By 1871 he was in fact living with his newly trained nephew, John Strelley Carslake Yule at 52 Bolton Street Bury.  His life was short lived dying at age 42 in January 1874 still a batchelor and surgeon. His effects considered to be less than £2000 were left to his sister, Mary Gregory.

 

1871 census  Herbert and John practicing medicine together

This is from his Obituary in the British Medical Journal 14/2/1874  

"Herbert R Harris MRCS Eng., Bury Lancashire
At age of 21 Harris passed an examination  before a medical board and was appointed colonial surgeon and acting Assistant  surgeon to the troops  stationed at Albany WA. Having resigned  these appointments he pursued his medical studies at the Manchester School of Medicine and Surgery. He took his Diploma at the Royal College of Surgeons in England in 1858 since which time he has practiced in Bury  and was well known and highly esteemed  for his ability, courtesy and gentlemanly conduct. The deceased gentlemen who was only 42 years of age was in enjoyment of his usual good health up to Monday January 12th. On the next day he complained of being unwell; medical assistance being called in . It was then found  he was suffering from an attack of typhus fever which he had in all probability contracted during his professional visits. Every possible medical and domestic attention was shown to him but he died at 2am on the morning of the 19th, little more than 5 days having elapsed since the first symptoms of the disease were manifested."

 

Herbert Roby Harris  Source: Richard Kuchnowski