Dr. Thomas Parsons (1795-1875) - Surgeon and Accoucheur

Advertisement for Dr, Thomas Parsons’ services in Parramatta. (Source: The Sydney Morning Herald, 9 August 1851, page 1 (supplement))

In 1850, Dr Thomas Parsons, M.D. (1795-1875) relocated his medical practice to Parramatta, N.S.W. He advertised his services as a surgeon and accoucheur - a male midwife. His surgery was located opposite Mrs. Andrew Nash's hotel (Woolpack Hotel) and the (former) Post Office on George Street, Parramatta.

According to the Australian Medical Pioneers Index, Dr. Parsons would serve the Parramatta community for 8 years from 1850 to 1858 when he sold his practice to Dr. Walter Brown (1821-1897) who leased and later purchased Brislington (now the Brisling Medical and Nursing Museum in the Justice Precinct). Dr Parsons then relocated to Paddington, N.S.W.

About Dr. Thomas Parsons 

Thomas Parsons was born circa 1795 in England. In 1819, he resided in Okehampton, Devon, England whilst completing his medical studies and was awarded his Licentiate of the Society of Apothecaries (LSA) in London, England on 30 September 1819. 

In 1834, he left Portsmouth, England aboard the ship "William Metcalf" as the surgeon on board and first arrived in Sydney, NSW, Australia on 7 October 1834.

Further shipping records reveal his travels as ship surgeon on board the "Juliet" from London arriving in Sydney on 13 December 1837; the "Parland" from Sydney arriving in Adelaide, South Australia on 4 January 1839 and then back to Sydney on 4 February 1839.

He finally settled in Australia in 1839 and was registered on the NSW Medical Board on 3 June 1839 as a medical practitioner in Sydney. On 4 January 1841, Dr Parsons was listed as a legally qualified medical practitioner in Liverpool, NSW. There he was a member of the Liverpool Benevolent Society and acted as coroner, medical witness and justice of the peace.

Dr. Parsons’ time in Parramatta

After setting up his practice in Parramatta, by October 1852, Dr. Parsons was forced to move his surgery when his landlord Mrs Jane Matilda Thorn (nee Humm) appeared to have instructed her sons Daniel Humphrey Thorn (1825-1860) of Goulburn and George Henry Thorn to serve him legal notices to vacate under the Tenement Act after his lease expired on 9 July 1851.

He appears to settled this dispute as in 1853, he was offering free vaccination to the parents of children to the local community at the same premises

In 1854, Dr. Parson relocated to Macquarie Street into the former residence of Mrs Elizabeth Shelley, relict of the late William Shelley near St John’s Church where Dr Parsons continued to practice as a surgeon and accoucheur.

In the spring of 1857, Dr Walter Brown came to Parramatta and became a tenant of Sir George Wigram Allen's red brick house on George Street, Parramatta. Dr. Brown subsequently named it Brislington. 

The next year, in 1858, as Dr. Parsons was relocating to Paddington, Dr Brown took over Dr Parsons’ practice but moved the practice to Brislington which Dr Brown purchased Brislington from Sir Allen for ￡1,300 in 1873.

Prior to relocating, Dr Parsons’ lease was placed on the real estate market again as can be seen in the following notice in The Sydney Morning Herald.

According to the Medical Directory for New South Wales and Queensland in 1860, Dr. Parsons, M.D. was still listed in Paddington, NSW but from 1870 onwards, he was in Port Macquarie, NSW. 

Sadly, Dr. Thomas Parsons passed away on 31 December 1875, after falling from his horse in Port Macquarie NSW. The coroner Y. H. Palmer found his death was the result of “Dropsy accelerated by a fall from his horse”. Dropsy is an old term used to describe the swelling of soft tissues, today the medical term ‘edema’ is used instead.

He was aged 80 years old at the time of his death and is interned in the Port Macquarie Historic Cemetery.

Anne Tsang, Research Assistant, City of Parramatta, Parramatta Heritage Centre, 2021.

References

1. McClymont, John. (1999). Dr. Walter Brown of Brislington House Parramatta, Parramatta History and Heritage. Retrieved from https://historyandheritage.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/blog/2015/05/13/dr-walter-brown-of-brislington-house-parramatta 
2. Dr. Walter Brown. (1897, June 5). The Cumberland Free Press, p. 6. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article144445483 
3. Due, Stephen. (ed.). (2017). Thomas Parsons, Australian Medical Pioneers Index. Retrieved from http://www.medicalpioneers.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?detail=1&id=2146 
4. [Thomas Parsons of Sydney, LSA London 30 September 1819 - annotated 'died 31 Dec 1875 at Port Macquarie'] (1839, June 3). New South Wales Medical Board. Minutes 3 June 1839 
5. New South Wales Medical Board. [Thomas Parsons, Sydney]. (1839, July 3). New South Wales Government Gazette, p. 733-4. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230384008 
6. [Thomas Parsons, Liverpool on list of legally qualified medical practitioners] (1841, January 4). New South Wales Medical Board. New South Wales Government Gazette 
7. New South Wales Medical Board. List of the Legally Qualified Medical Practitioners of the Colony of New South Wales. Sydney, 1842
8. Liverpool Benevolent Society. (1845, September 26). The Sydney Morning Herald, p. 1. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12882415
9. [Coroner, Liverpool] (1851) Sydney commercial directory, for the year 1851. Sydney: W. & F. Ford 
10. Brown, Keith Macarthur. (1937). Medical Practice in Old Parramatta. Sydney
11. Due, Stephen. (ed.). (2016). Thomas (2) Robertson, Australian Medical Pioneers Index. Retrieved from http://www.medicalpioneers.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?detail=1&id=2550 
12. Notice. [Advertisement] (1851, August 9). The Sydney Morning Herald , p. 1 (supplement). Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12929311 
13. Parramatta. [A case under the Tenement Act.] (1852, October 2). The Sydney Morning Herald , p. 2. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12940442 
14. Vaccination. [Advertisement] (1853, September 16). The Sydney Morning Herald, p. 6. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12948922
15. Parramatta. [Advertisement] (1858, September 4). The Sydney Morning Herald, p. 8. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13020107
16. Parramatta [Advertising] (1854, September 12). The Sydney Morning Herald, p. 2. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12952952 
17. Paddington [Advertisement]. (1858, November 18). The Sydney Morning Herald, p. 3. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13020492
18. Caution. [Advertising] (1858, December 4). The Sydney Morning Herald, p. 4. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13021634 
19. Deaths. [Parsons.- December 31, at Port Macquarie, Dr. Thomas Parsons aged 80 years.] (1876, January 10). The Sydney Morning Herald, p. 1. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13371522 
20. Kerry Raymond and David Horton (2021). Port Macquarie historical society - list of deaths. Retrieved from https://www.chapelhill.homeip.net/FamilyHistory/Photos/Port_Macquarie_historic-NSW/index.php?image=OL_20100210_119.JPG 
21. Ancestry.com. (2021). Thomas Parsons in State Archives NSW New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Coroners' Inquests, 1821-1937 [database on-line], Series: 2923; Item: 4/6615; Roll: 343. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.
22. In the estate of the late Dr. Thomas Parsons, of Port Macquarie. (1876, March 22). The Sydney Morning Herald, p. 8. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28401576