Middlemore Family Genealogy

Birmingham

67. Richard Middlemore, of The Davids, Northfield, gentleman, born at Stratford-on-Avon, 21 March, 1778, at 3 o'clock in the morning," baptized there, 30 September, 1778. Founded the leather business at Fordrough Street,

Figure 38  Signature of Richard Middlemore

Birmingham, in 1801 when but twenty-three, and retired from it, having acquired a substantial fortune, 31 December, 1831.  Died 19 February, 1841, aged sixty-two, buried at Northfield, m. i.  Will dated is November, 1838, proved 17 April, 1841, by William Middlemore, the son.  Married at Aston juxta Birmingham, 1 April, 1799, Elizabeth [6],daughter 

Figure 39  Signature of Elizabeth Mucklow

of James Mucklow, of Aston.  She died 2 February, 1838, aged sixty-five, and was buried at Northfield, m. i.

They had issue:
  1. George Middlemore, born 1 April, baptized 6 April, 1801, at St. Martin's, Birmingham ; died young.
  2. William Middlemore, of whom next (68).
  3. Richard Middlemore, of Temple Row, Birmingham, surgeon, born 12 October 1804, baptized 15 April, 1805, at St. Martin's Church, Birmingham.  Died a bachelor at "The Limes," Bristol Road, Edgbaston, 1 March, 1891, aged eighty-six, and was buried, 5 March, at Northfield. His will, dated 15 December, 1889, was proved at Birmingham 1 May, 1891, by Thomas Middlemore, of Birmingham, the nephew, and David Charles Lloyd Owen, of Birmingham, the executors.

    4. Figure 40   Signature of Richard Middlemore

    Richard Middlemore was educated along with his brothers, William and James, at Mr. Powell's school at Solihull, and after remaining there long enough to learn a little Latin, he was apprenticed to Mr. Charles Chawner, a surgeon at Lichfield, and in 1823 attended leftures at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, where he had for his fellow students, Sir Richard Owen, with whom he formed a life long friendship, Dr. James Johnstone and others of repute in the medical profession, and he occasionally acted as dresser for the celebrated Mr. Abernethy. In 1828 he was appointed assistant-surgeon, and in 1835 honorary surgeon to the Birmingham Eye Infirmary. In 1831 he gained the Jacksonian prize essay, which formed the basis of his magnum opus published some four years later, in 1835, under the title of "A Treatise on the Diseases of the Eye and its appendages," in two volumes, filling upwards of eight hundred pages. As illustrating the contrast between medical literature of the time of William the Fourth and the present day, it may be mentioned that this important work was issued without a single illustration for the reader's assistance. Mr. Middlemore was also author of various contributions on ophthalmic subjects  He qualified as L.S.A. in 1825, and M.R.C.S. England, in 1827.  He became Hon. F.R.C.S. in 1843, and was appointed surgeon to the Blind Asylum at Edgbaston.  In 1877 he founded a prize to be awarded triennially for the best essay on improvements in ophthalmic surgery during the previous three years, and eleven years later, 1888, he presented a ,£1,000 to the Birmingham and Midland Eye Hospital for the post graduate Lectures on Ophthalmic practice He practised as a specialist at Temple Row, Birmingham, and after fifty years professional life retired to "The Limes," in the Bristol Road, where he died a bachelor in 1891 at the ripe age of eighty-six.  He was personally ac­quainted with Mrs. Lewin, the daughter of Robert Middlemore and Barbara Amerongen, and benefited by her will.

  4. James Middlemore, of Griffin's Hill, Selly Oak, born 4 October, 1807, baptized 19 April, 1863, as " James Littleton Middle­more," at St. Mary's, Selly Oak, died sp. at Griffin's Hill, 23 September, 1891, aged eighty-three, and buried at North. field 28 of same month. Married at the parish church of Edgbaston, 4 September, 1834, to Sarah Anne, daughter of Thomas Groom, of Edgbaston. She was born 20 June, 1806, at Shrewsbury, baptized at St. Mary's, Selly Oak, 30 November, 1862, died 19 November, 1877, and was buried, 23 November, at Northfield.

    His will, dated 1 May, 1891, proved at Worcester, 10 November, 1892, by Osmond Airy, of "The Laurels," Solihull, and Thomas Horton, of Birmingham, the executors.

     

    Figure 41  Signature of James Middlemore

    James Middlemore was educated at Mr. Powell's school, Solihull, where he was distinguished by a remarkable memory.  It is said he could repeat most of Pope's "Iliad" by heart.  On leaving school he joined his father and his brother William in business.  In 1841, having acquired a competence he retired from business, and travelled and resided abroad for many years in order to cultivate his tastes in art, music, and literature.  On his return he settled at Griffin's Hill, Selly Oak.  His reading in foreign languages, which he spoke fluently, was extensive and continuous.  In 1889 he published what was practically a compilation of his notes under the title of "Proverbs, Sayings, and Comparisons," a work which gave the equivalents from the foreign literature of three and often four languages of a very large amount of English proverbial literature.  To his friends he was endeared by charming courtesy, and by social tastes, enlivened by a memory that was phenomenal.