Doctors Orders

Getting medical help is relatively easy with the NHS but what did we do before this revolutionary service? Two of the earliest doctors of the village were Mr Lang and Mr George Watts. George served the village from at least 1835 until his death in 1871. Perhaps two of the best known though are Richard and Francis Lyon, two brothers from Ireland, who worked as doctors from c.1880. Francis lived at Sydney Lodge in Station Road and looked after the wealthy whilst Richard lived in Chapel Street and looked after the poor. There would have been a fee for the services they provided, however many places ran a scheme which the wealthy paid in to subsidizing the service given to the poor. To support the work of the doctors Thatcham Nursing Society was formed in 1900 with Nurse Whitehouse being the first appointed to the position. The doctors and nurses not only covered Thatcham but also Crookham, Cold Ash and Bucklebury.