1941: Following a Ministry of Home Security circular on the carrying of gas masks, a Mrs Mellows organised four lectures aimed principally at housewives of active servicemen, on how to handle a gas situation. The second talk was held on this day. Each lecture covered: latest information about gas attacks; first aid for gas casualties; how to protect yourself and dealing with incendiary bombs and fires. All lectures were very well attended. (Gray, David, Peterborough at War 1939-1945, David Gray, 2011)
Taken from The Peterborough Book of Days by Brian Jones, The History Press, 2014.
Dr Thomas James Walker was born in 1835 in Peterborough and was a second generation doctor. He had a thriving practice in Westgate, and in 1862 he was appointed to the post of surgeon at the infirmary, a post he held until 1906.
His work in the infirmary included pioneering research and exploration into laryngoscopies. He had studied laryngology in Vienna and whilst working in Peterborough wrote a series of articles on laryngoscopy in the British Medical Journal.
The building of the operating theatre at Peterborough Infirmary was facilitated by a grant that Thomas Walker secured. As a surgeon at the infirmary he ensured the operating theatre was built to his specification, with tiled walls that could be easily cleaned with carbolic acid to minimise infection, and lots of natural light, to reduce the need for gas lamps.
He had other interests, notably local history and his archaeological finds and acquisitions formed a base for the Peterborough Museum Society collection, and he became the society's president in 1892. He was also interested in the Napoleonic prisoner of war camp at Norman Cross and wrote a book on its history, published in 1913. As all of the notable men in the city were at that time, including his colleague Dr Comissiong, he was also a member of the Freemasons and Rifle Volunteer Corps.
In recognition of all his contributions to Peterborough and its inhabitants, on his 80th birthday in 1915, he was granted the Freedom of the city, the first native born Peterborian to be so honoured. He died in 1916.
Reference
M. Thomas, Thomas James Walker (1835-1916): Surgeon and General Practitioner, Journal of Medical Biography, Vol 26:1, 2018 DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/0967772016637973
Upon The Infirmary's move to the newly completed Memorial Hospital in 1928 the Infirmary building was acquired by Percy Malcolm Stewart, Chair of the London Brick Company, who donated it to the Museum Society (at that time the Natural History, Scientific and Archaeological Society) to house their collection.
It was opened as a museum in 1931, with the art gallery added in 1939.
The Museum and its collections have been owned by the Council since 1968, when the Museum Society gave them to the city.
In May 2010, management of the building and its collections was taken over by Vivacity and in 2020 it passed to City Culture Peterborough.
As an aside, the museum is reputed to be the most haunted building in Peterborough, with its most famous ghost being that of Sgt Thomas Hunter, 'The Lonely ANZAC'.
What is now known as the Museum Society was founded in 1871 as the Peterborough Natural History Society and Field Club. Over the next ten years it widened its interests and became the Natural History, Scientific, and Archaeological Society. The collection gathered by the society was the foundation of Peterborough Museum’s collection which opened in 1931. The Society assumed its present name in 1947 and in 1968 the museum housed in the Priestgate building was presented to the city of Peterborough. The Museum Society remains active and meets at the museum on alternate Tuesdays during the winter for lectures covering its wide interests: local history and archaeology; conservation and natural history; literature and fine arts.
References:
Peterborough Museum
Picture:
Part of the museum's natural history collection
What is now known as the Museum Society was founded in 1871 as the Peter…