Divisional Surgeon Doctor Barton

[Alan Baird]

Doctor Thomas George Barton.

 

Here we have an antique heavy sterling silver cigarette case which is engraved, ''Presented to :- Dr T. G. Barton by the Police at Chadwell Heath, on his relinguishing the Post of Division Surgeon.' That would be Bow or 'K' division.

The silver cigarette case was made by, ''Johnson, Walker and Tolhurst,'' who were London jewellers of the highest standard. For example Winston Churchill was known to be one of their clients. 

The cigarette case measures approximately 83mm x 80 mm and has a gilt interior and is in extremely fine condition and is fully hallmarked. There is also the original New Scotland Yard letter from the Chief Surgeon thanking Doctor Barton for the invaluable services he performed as a Divisional Surgeon. The letter is dated the 31st of October in 1922 and confirms his replacement will be a Doctor M. M. Frew effective from the 1st of November in 1922.

 

Doctor Thomas George Barton was born in Ireland in approximately 1862.

In the England Census of 1891, Doctor Thomas George Barton is boarding at 364 Green Lanes, Stoke Newington, in London and he is recorded as being employed as a doctor of medicine and surgery. We have a record of Doctor Thomas George Barton practicing medicine in Ireland in 1889 so he could have transferred to London sometime between late 1889 and before the England Census of 1891.

The Jack the Ripper murders were committed in the last quarter of 1888 and there were several incidents over the next couple of years which resulted in the general public being afraid that Jack the Ripper might have returned. Therefore Doctor Thomas George Barton may have experienced this strange atmosphere and as a medical man would have probably found this situation very interesting especially from a medical point of view.

In 1906, Doctor Thomas George Barton was a witness in the Old Bailey trial of George Tentori for maliciously publishing certain false and defamatory libels against Doctor William Summerskill. The claims involved inappropriate behaviour with a female patient. It seems the normal practice for examining a female patient in an intimate body area would be to have that patient bring along a female friend or the doctor should have provided a female assistant. The patient stated she had no female friends and wanted the examination kept secret. The trial found George Tentori was guilty of slander and he was sentenced to three months imprisonment. 

Doctor Thomas George Barton became the Metropolitan Police Divisional Surgeon for Chadwell Heath which is in Bow or 'K' divisional area. We do not have a starting date for this appointment but it was probably sometime after 1913. The Old Bailey trial records available to the Public end in 1913 and there are no entries for Doctor Barton within this period. The duties of a Divisional Surgeon would have certainly meant that he would have attended this court at some time during his extended service.

We know that Doctor Thomas George Barton left the Metropolitan Police, as a Divisional Surgeon, on the 31st of October in 1922. Doctor Thomas George Barton must have been a successful and well liked individual as his present of the silver cigarette case which was purchased as a leaving gift, was an expensive gift from a top London jewellers.

 

I think as further relevant information is release ie Old Bailey trial records etc....his story may have more to tell.

The silver cigarette case is in extremely fine condition and was obviously a treasured possession. I actually thought it was in such a nice condition that he must not have smoked so therefore he did not use it but my wife pointed out...........why would you then give a cigarette case to a man that does not smoke.