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Rock House has been the home of many Bacup doctors the one most memorable to me was Dr Jones not only was he our family Doctor but my mother used to work for him and I spent many days sitting at the big kitchen table in his home during the summer holidays of 1975 waiting for mum to finish work. The following history of Rock House and its Doctors is courtesy of Maurice Priest the present owner who kindly gave me permission to use his research material. If you would like to see the full version of The History of Rock House please contact Mr Priest through the Bacup Natural History Society.
Rock House
Rock House was built in 1852 by John Hoyle. The first doctor to take up residence there was Surgeon William James Tattersall in 1872.
Dr Clegg
1880 Saw the arrival of the houses most renowned Doctor that of Dr Clegg who was Mayor of Bacup from 1884-1885-1886 who was in the middle of his second term 1892-1893 when he died. Dr Clegg was 64 when he died in April of 1893 and had been a strong advocate of Education for the masses and was instrumental in the building of the public baths. His wife Hannah continued to live at Rock house until her death in 1898.
Dr Samuel T Brooks Dr Samuel Brooks was born in Farnworth in 1868 Bury son of William and Mary Brooks he came to Bacup in 1892/3 in practice with his brother Dr Edward Brooks. The census of 1901 shows Dr Samuel Tong Brooks living at Rock House with his wife Jane whom he married in 1900 however Dr Brooks is also shown in Kelly's Directory of 1901 as having premises at 33 Rochdale Road Bacup with his brothers Doctors Edward and William Brooks and is shown as being the Public Vaccinator for Bacup Borough. Dr Brooks eventually moved to Forest House Bacup where he and his wife had four sons all of which followed their father in the medical profession becoming Doctors themselves. An old man remembers how when he was a young lad he had toothache, but the dentist were all shut. He went to Dr Brooks, who protested that he was not a dentist, but still produced a huge pair of pliers from a leather bag under his desk. He sterilized them over a gas jet and proceeded to extract the tooth, causing the pair of them to end up on the floor as the tooth had very deep roots. He gave the boy a tanner for a shot of whiskey, with a firm note to the proprietor that the boy was to rinse it around his mouth but not swallow it. Dr Brooks who sported a fine handlebar moustache visited people in a pony and trap. One could always tell when he was coming because the pony had a very large bell around it's neck. Later he acquired an A.J.S motorcycle. He had a love of brass candlesticks and was well known for cadging them off people. He once told off Mrs Potts for cooking rabbit " Its vermin, put it in the bin!" She never ate rabbit again.
Dr Taylor
In 1907 the house passed into non medical hands when it was bought by auction by Mr Hargreaves Sutcliffe. The house was bought in 1923 by Dr Arnold Taylor born in Bacup in 1880 the son of James and Mary Taylor a Unregistered Dentist and shown in the 1891 census as living at number 2 Bankside Lane. Qualifying as a Doctor at the age of 21 he set up his practice in 1913.Serving as a Captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps during the Great War. In 1923 he was appointed Police Surgeon and was involved with the St Johns Ambulance. He was also known to like a drink and on one occasion a bemused recipient of a visit opened the door to find no one there. Dr Taylor had fallen over and was found supine in the bushes beside the front door goodness knows how he managed to drive his car a Rover Coupe. Dr Taylor died in 1933 from Pneumonia a complication of the Flu he had contracted earlier.
Dr Mc Vean
In 1938 the house was bought by Dr McVean the house was said to have been very dark in those days with lots of brown painted woodwork and the surrounding buildings on Market Street. On one occasion he returned from holiday to find that a horse had fallen off the bank above, through his garage roof. seemingly remembered by everyone as being a good Doctor who showered them in ash from his ever present cigarette. He was well known for carrying out post mortems in his role as Police Surgeon with a glass of whiskey at his side and a cigarette in his mouth with a long plume of ash that never seemed to fall off. Dr Mc Vean retired in 1967 and moved to Bournemouth.
Dr Jones
Dr John Llewellyn Jones bought the house in 1967 when he moved to Bacup from Maghull Liverpool a ex Navy surgeon he was well known for his drinking and could often be found in the Deerplay Pub known to many as his " Second Surgery". In March 1973 he married Margaret Susan however his wife left him 5months before his death in September 1976.
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Dr John Brown Burwood House Bacup.
Dr Brown lived at Burwood House with
his wife Amelia and their fours sons the 1901 census shows
him aged 51. Born in Callington Cornwall son of Thomas
and Elizabeth Brown Tailor and Grocer educated at Knights
Commercial School Callington, Charring Cross College of Medicine
London, The University College London, and Owens College and
Victoria University Manchester. He became House Surgeon of the
Western
Dr J.P Brown Burwood House Bacup.
Dr William Barclay Forest House Dr William Bowie Barclay shown in Kellys Directory for 1901.Medical Officer Bacup District and Haslingden Union and Living with his wife Amy nee Bentham at Forest House. The second son of Mr and Mrs Robert Barclay he was born in Kilwinning Ayshire and studied at eh Anderson college Glasgow and at the age of 21 took the degrees of L.R.C.P. and L.R.C.S at Edinburgh six years later he took the degree of D.P.H at Victoria University Manchester. Taking over the practice of Dr Snell in Bacup almost immediately he was greatly involved with the St John Ambulance brigade and highly regarded as a lecturer with them.
Dr William Haslam Brooks Newchurch Road Stacksteads
Dr William Brooks practised from his surgery at Rainford Villa Hindle Street Stacksteads and was the brother of Dr's Samuel and Edward Brooks. The census of 1901 shows him aged 28 and single. Born in Farnworth Bury son of Mr and Mrs W Brooks he studied at Farnworth Grammar School and then at University Glasgow for medicine. During the Great War he served with the British Forces in Russia. An elderly lady recalls him taking her tonsils out on the kitchen table at Hindle Street. He had tied her hands behind her back, but forgot about her feet. He was unable to ride his bike for a bit because the lady had kicked him black and blue with her clogs.
Dr Rigby Oak House Bacup
Dr T. S. Shaw Bankside House
Born at Coldstream, Scotland, Dr Shaw obtained his degrees M.B and C.M at Edinburgh. He came to Bacup to assist Dr W. Stewart and went into partnership with him. When Dr Stewart retired at the end of 1908 Dr Shaw took over the practice, and eventually took over a junior partner in the form of Dr F.J.Thornton, of Brighouse Yorkshire. The partnership lasted until about 1928 at which time Dr Thornton moved to Peace haven. Dr Shaw then went into partnership with Dr Ivor M.Hughes. Dr Shaw was vaccination officer for number 2 district Dr Shaw died in January 1934 aged 72.
Dr Frederick Hall Dr Hall lived at 92 Market Street with his wife Mary Agnes the census of 1901 shows him aged 27 and from Ireland.
Dr Edwin Walter Falconer Newchurch Road Stacksteads. Dr Falconer lived at 235 Newchurch Road Stacksteads in the 1901 census he is shown aged 24 and unmarried. He was born in Birmingham the son of John and Lucy Falconer his father was the Vicar of Tunstead church from 1889 to 1917.Dr Falconer lived for many years at Heath Hill house, and had 3 sons all who followed him into the medical profession. Dr Falconer died in October of 1941 at which time his surgery was taken over by his sons, Dr's J.A. and F.E. Falconer.
Dr R Brooks Rochdale Road
The youngest son of Dr Samuel Brooks was Dr Robert Brooks born in 1908, he lived at The Bungalow in Rochdale Road and began practising with his father in Bacup in 1940. He was a member of the Home Guard during and after the war and in 1942 he joined the R.A.M.C serving as a doctor until 1946 serving in England and Africa. He retired in 1963 leaving Bacup to live in Anglesey.
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Ophthalmic Hospital London and later Analytical Chemist
to the Rossendale Waterworks Company. In 1877 he was appointed
Medical Officer of Health to Bacup and in 1899 appointed Surgeon
at the Sourhall Smallpox Isolation Hospital. In 1902 he was
appointed Medical Officer to the Bacup district of the
Haslingden Union and Post Office Medical Officer to Bacup Post
Office in 1906 and Medical Inspector for Bacup Schools in 1909.
In 1913 Dr Brown moved to Blackpool were he devoted much
of his time to cancer research having many of his articles
published in various medical journals of the time. Dr Brown died
aged 79 in August 1929 at his home in Blackpool.
In 1913 the practice
at Burwood House was taken over by Br
Brown's son Dr John Percival Brown who also succeeded his father has
Medical Officer of Health, School Medical Officer and Maternity and
Child Welfare Officer. He published a number of reports one
notably in 1915 on a outbreak of Food Poisoning in Bacup. An
active member and supporter since it's beginnings in 1891 of the
St John's Ambulance Brigade and became involved in the Red Cross
during the war. In recognition of his long services he was
appointed an Officer of the Venerable Order of St John of
Jerusalem in England, and was an examiner for the St John
Ambulance Association. Dr J.P Brown was vicars warden at Christ
Church Bacup for many years and Vice President of Bacup Golf
Club. He died on November 30 1942 at his home Burwood House.
