The amazing Dr Eric Gardner Weybridge’s greatest polymath? Not your typical GP! Founder and Honorary Curator of Weybridge Museum General Practitioner & surgeon Family man Rower Local councillor & Mayor Brooklands medical officer Archaeologist Inventor of the Crash Helmet Local Historian Soldier Map collector & expert Hospital governor Forensic pathologist 1877 - 1951 ‘Polymath’ - a person whose knowledge and expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas Talk for The Weybridge Society by Steve McCarthy on 7 th February 2019
www.elmbridgehundred.org.uk
What was he like? Member of the Medico-Legal Society - the professional body for forensic pathologists
Early Life • Born November 6 th 1877, at Hackney • Youngest of three children who survived infancy • Son of George Gardner, Hay merchant • Educated at Merchant Taylors’ School, and Caius College Cambridge • At Cambridge from 1896 – ‘ prominent oarsman and stroked his First May Boat ’ – a Sergeant in the Volunteer Corps
• One of the Twelve Great Livery Companies in the City of London. • Charitable work • Gardner male family tradition • Eric was a Liveryman all his life
Quote from his son John “ Eric made up his mind to be a doctor at a very early age, and his youthful interest in anatomy is shown in the collection of animal skulls, made when he was only 10, which is still preserved. It includes a horse’s skull which to the great discomfort of his family, he boiled in the kitchen copper! ”
Cambridge Alumni Records
Medical Training • Cambridge University • The London Hospital in 1900 – Surgery, Pathology – Qualified 1904 • First role - Great Ormond Street Hospital
Great Ormond Street 1905 Eric by the fireplace
Early Life in Weybridge • Aged 29, in 1906 moved to Weybridge to be a GP – when Brooklands was being built – it opened in 1907 • Marriage to Dora Constance (nee Smith) in 1907, d.1955 • Children - 3 sons – John Soanes – George Oakley ( Pickles ) d. 13/12/1942 , Pilot at El Alamein, buried Bari, Italy – James Willis, Major b. 28/2/1915 m. 1958 d.1997 • Weybridge Urban District Council – Councillor and Mayor in 1909 – Chairman in 1913, aged 36
Wedding – 1907
Three Sons • John, Jim & Pickles • Probably in the 1920’s • John had two daughters, Kate Finlay + ano • Jim had Marina Georgopulos, William & Alexia
Major James Willis Gardner • From his son William Patrick - gardner@un.org : • Major James Willis Gardner MBE - No.1 Commando • No.331 on the No.1 Commando panorama photo is Major James Willis Gardner born Weybridge, UK 28/02/1915, died Rome, Italy 11/11/1997. Following the war he worked for Procter and Gamble in Newcastle and left for Lausanne, Switzerland in 1952 to start up company operations in continental Europe. • He retired from the company in 1980 as administrator of the Italian branch and lived out his retirement in the 'Castelli Romani' a renowned wine region of central Italy. • He married Leila Tusgioglu from the island of Rhodes and had three children Marina, William and Alexia. His grandchildren live in three continents, with one niece married to a 'James' working for P&G and in Weybridge(!)
Portmore House, Weybridge • The Gardner home for many years • Built in 1822 on site of earlier house. Part of it was an inn, the Portmore Arms till 1832. • • • •
Offices Today • Notable listed building • Staff believe it is haunted by a White Lady!
GP Practice for 30 years • 1906 - G.P. in Weybridge at practice of Dr. Chapple • 1922 - Started a practice with Dr. Sam Beare & others • Worked from his Portmore House home • July 1936 retired as a GP – working with Drs Barkley, Beare & Whitehurst, Weybridge Park House, Hanger Hill
Medical Practice • Did almost all his own surgery – Big wooden operating table in Portmore House – Expertise in saving damaged limbs, later with the assistance of Dr Sam Beare from 1922 • Well known as a gynaecologist/obstretician – near the end of his career as a GP upset when he lost his first and only baby in 30 years • Worked at the Cottage Hospital (now Locke King House) • Later the new Weybridge Hospital
Local Folk Medicine & Folklore • Cures for whooping cough – ‘ Doing the bridges ’ - take the child across one bridge and return by another bridge – Give the child a skinned and fried mouse to eat • Remedy for adder bites – Use the oil from boiling an adder • Midwive’s expression, ‘ The lions have whelped ’ - when a run of boys were born
Weybridge Rowing Club • Founded in 1881 – a club ‘ for tradesmen and watermen ’ • Dormant for a period & resurrected in September 1907 • 1908/9 - the club calls for support of local ex-Varsity rowers • Eric offers help - made coach for the Senior members • 1909/10 – very successful years for his Senior Four crew • 1912 – Captain of the club for the year • 1915 & 1916 – President of the club Source: Weybridge Rowing Club 1880s – 1980s, Nigel Burton
WRC Coxed Four
The Locke Kings • Hugh and Ethel Locke King, owners of the Brooklands estate and builders of the race track • Eric was the Medical Officer at Brooklands from 1907 • Knew them extremely well professionally and socially • Ethel was godmother to at least John Soanes Gardner • Eric was their personal physician • Attended Hugh when he died in 1926 and was at the funeral service
Brooklands Race Track • 1907 – 1930s Brooklands Medical Officer – After WW1 given the power to stop any driver racing • Car and motorcycle accidents – Head injuries and concussion – No helmets worn • Flying accidents • Amateur archaeology – found Roman coins & donated to British Museum
Testimonial from Lord Ridley
Brooklands – Eric at the track
Brooklands – Eric’s photos The Fork - the start of the Finishing Straight
Flying Accidents at Brooklands • Flight Magazine, May 1912 – Flanders F.3 monoplane of E. V. B. Fisher – Fisher & passenger killed – Medical report by Dr Gardner
Flanders F.3 of Fisher
Flying Accidents at Brooklands (2) • Flight Magazine, June 1913 – Pilot injured, passenger killed – Pilot taken to Weybridge Cottage Hospital
Inventor of the motorcycle helmet • 1907 - Speed limit for motor cycles was 20mph • Brooklands – Speeds were up to 90mph – he saw motor cyclists with head injuries about every 2 weeks • Got Mr Moss of Bethnal Green to make linen and shellac helmets – stiff enough to stand a heavy blow and smooth enough to glance off any projections, with no visor • Auto-Cycle Union - compulsory for the 1914 Isle of Man TT races • Took 94 helmets to the Isle of Man, and one rider hit a gate with a glancing blow and was saved by the helmet. – Isle of Man medical officer said after the T.T. they normally had "several interesting concussion cases" but that in 1914 there were none • The ACU made the helmets made compulsory in 1922 • Used at Brooklands from 1920 for 16 years and only 2 hospital cases in that period • Became known as ‘Skid Lids’ • Eric’s sons probably wished he had patented it…
Helmets • For sale at Brookland’s auto jumble, July 2016 • £200
• Shellac and linen composition shell, leather side and neck protection and cloth lined interior • Worn by Brooklands car drivers in the 1930s
Head Injuries in Motor-cyclists • Letter in the BMJ, 1941 • In response to a paper on ‘ Head Injuries in Motor-cyclists ’ by Prof. Hugh Cairns • Explains his work 27 years earlier !
Founder of Weybridge Museum • Elmbridge Museum (from 1991) ‘The Museum opened on 23 June 1909 as the Museum for Weybridge in a single room of Aberdeen House on Church Street. Dr Eric Gardner, a local doctor and history enthusiast with a special interest in archaeology was appointed honorary curator. He held this post until his death in 1951.’ • Mayor at the time
Original Weybridge Museum • June 1909 - a room in the Council building
Local History Writings & Lectures From ‘Weybridge Past’ published 1999, by the Museum Manager • 1910 – wrote about village life in Weybridge based on a document of 1340.... • 1911 – wrote ‘ A Short History of Oatlands, 1505 – 1909 ’ • 1912 – ‘ Major Travers reminds me that some 20 years ago a dug- out canoe was found in the roadway opposite Dorney House, at the bottom of Thames Street.... ’ • 1921 – ‘ fires on Weybridge Heath had cleared undergrowth and had revealed the remains of old iron workings, where ironstone was obtained locally...’ • Wrote about local history from 600BC onwards...?? • Wrote about Oatlands Palace , including it ‘ bore a remarkable resemblance to the old part of St John’s College at Cambridge .... ’
Sanitary Committee
Archaeology • Surrey Archaeological Society – joined 1909, on Council 1912, Vice-President 1945 – Honorary Local Secretary for Weybridge • Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries • 1920’s – excavated the site of Oatlands Palace when the Old Palace Gardens housing estate was being constructed • 1934 – discovered a Tile Kiln at Chertsey Abbey – gave a paper to the Society of Antiquaries
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