The Hampshire Family Historian | Vol.49 No.2 | September 2022

Member’s article

Continued from page 63

Kents all had colds, and Dr Wilson made regular visits supervising the cutting of Victoria’s first two teeth.” Alarmingly, the Duke’s condition deteriorated. Weintraub continues: “on January 12, with the Duke’s fever unabated, he was moved to a larger warmer room, but that evening he became delirious, and vomiting weakened him further. In the belief that the loss of blood would lessen the Duke’s fever, Dr Wilson applied leeches to his patient’s chest, and the tough constitution of the Duke began to give way under the mistaken medical practices of the day. He would outlive his brothers, he once predicted, but the Duchess, now terrified, sent to London for Dr David Dundas, reputedly the best of the Royal physicians. In his place, however, rushed Dr William Maton, former physician to the late Queen Charlotte, as Dundas could not be spared while George III still struggled for life. Dr Wilson had already decided on further bleeding, ordering the Duke to be cupped, as a method more efficient than leeches. Cupping meant applying a heated four-ounce cup to an incision in the patient’s flesh; blood filled the cup as the vacuum created by the cooling drew it out. To relieve the Duke’s headache he was cupped on his forehead as well, and when cupping failed to relieve any of his problems, leeches were reapplied to draw further blood. The Duke’s pneumonia intensified.” Dr Maton was himself an exponent of bleeding and, on arrival at Sidmouth, ordered more of the same to be applied. Sadly the Duke did not survive his medical treatment. He died at Sidmouth on 22 January 1820. Wilson had done his best within the limitations of contemporary knowledge and continued as

Woolbrook Cottage, Sidmouth

one of the Physicians to the Duchess of Kent. He presumably returned to his post at Plymouth but further advancement and honours were still to come. On 6 June 1821 he reached the peak of his profession when he was appointed to be Physician at the Royal Navy’s principal Hospital, Haslar. On 9 June 1828, as explained by Marshall’s biography, he received from Garter King of Arms, a confirmation of the family arms, with additions relating to his service and achievements. His motto “Providentia et Labore” (By providence and labour) was probably rather apt. In 1831 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. In 1837 Victoria acceded to the throne and, being by then 81, Wilson retired from his commitments as one of the Duchess of Kent’s Physicians and from his post at Haslar. Despite differences with her mother, Victoria cannot have thought too badly of Wilson since she knighted him in 1838. He had been loyal to the family when they were living in straitened circumstances and it is possible to imagine that Victoria might have seen him as a steadfast connection with the father whom

she regretted she had never known. Barry Atwood HGS Member #11355

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