John FORREST (1804-1865)

Dr John FORREST, Honorary Physician to the Queen, was born on 20th Jun 1804 in Stirling.

Childhood

On 19th Apr 1823 he failed to turn up at the Spring Circuit Court to answer charges of lifting bodies from Stirling Churchyard alongside the local gravedigger and key holder. He was subsequently outlawed from Scotland and the other two men released from jail. This incensed the local populace who formed an angry mob and started to riot in the streets. The 77th Regiment were brought down from the Castle to disperse the rioters who fired on the mob in Spittal Street, but no-one was injured, the soldiers intentionally firing over the people's heads .

Military Career

On 29th June 1824, Dr Forrest was pardoned by the King following favourable reports and on 10th Nov 1825 he joined the British Army as a Hospital Assistant . On 9th Feb 1826 he was promoted to Assistant Surgeon in the 20th Regiment of the Foot where he served in the expedition against the Rajah of Kolapore in 1827 . He subsequently served in the 23rd Regiment of Foot, 8th West India Regiment of Foot, and the 22nd Regiment of Foot.

On 13th May 1842, Dr John Forrest was promoted to Surgeon of the Second Class in the 75th Regiment of Foot. He was employed during the expedition against the insurgent Boers beyond the Orange River in 1845, and in the Kaffir War of 1846, for which he received a medal8. Whilst in Cape Town, John became the Medical Attendant to Lady Sarah Lennox, daughter of the Duke of Richmond, and wife of Sir Peregrine Maitland. He was mentioned in a letter dated 17th Jan 1847 from Sir John Hall: “Dr. Forrest, who belongs to the Medical Staff here, and has made a good deal of money, I hear, by private practice, is indignant at being passed over by Atkinson, who is junior to him in the Service, and is going to make an application to return home on account of his health, to which I suppose I shall be compelled to give my assent. The other day he sent a regular reprimand to Sir James McGrigor for overlooking his individual merits, and promoting a junior Officer over his head, which he sent to me for transmission home. I, of course, returned it to him with a message that, however much he fancied Sir James deserved censure for the promotion he had made, I was not the channel through which such a communication should pass, but that if I could forward his views in getting an exchange, or even promotion, it would afford me much pleasure. It was rather a knowing dodge of the canny Scot, as all Sir James's anger would have fallen on me, and very properly, for transmitting such a document; but I have been severely bitten once by one of his countrymen for my good nature, and I will forgive the next who persuades me to commit myself again for his advantage.” On 21st May 1850 he was promoted to Surgeon of the First Class in the 91st Regiment of Foot and was subsequently promoted to Deputy-Inspector of Army Hospitals in 28th Mar 18548. He was in medical charge of the 3rd division of the Eastern army in Galipoli and Bulgaria, and accompanied the expedition to the Crimea in September 18548. In December 1854, he was posted to Scutari hospital, assuming the office of Principal Medical Officer. One of the junior doctors in his division, George Lawson, had a high opinion of Dr Forrest: “It requires a man of good capabilities to take charge. Had he been there before there would never have been a complaint against the place ... He has kindly promised to have me removed there, but this I am obliged to keep to myself, as it requires some management to be sent down. I shall first get sent down to Scutari with wounded and sick, and he will detain me there and give me, I have asked of him, one of the surgical wards.” Unfortunately the conditions at Scutari Hospital (where Florence Nightingale had been posted) were too harsh for Dr Forrest and he resigned two weeks later following inflammation of the liver. His letter to Sir John Hall stated: “I am sorry I find I must divert to England for a change in climate as I am quite unfit to carry on duty here. Lawson and others seem to think there is serious disease of the kidney going on and I daresay they are right.” Following his recovery, John was present at the affair of Bulganac, capture of Balaklava, battles of the Alma and Inkerman, and siege of Sebastopol. He was noticed in Lord Raglan’s despatch after Inkerman, “for his able exertions, as deserving to be most honourably mentioned” and was rewarded with the medal with three clasps8, and on 5th Feb 1856 made an Ordinary Member of the Military Division of the Third Class (Companion of the Order of the Bath) 8. He became Inspector-General of Army Hospitals on 31st May 1858 and on 2nd Mar 1858 received the fourth-class order of the Medjuidie8.

He was stationed at Malta until Dec 18618 having been promoted in 16th Nov 1859 to Honorary Physician to the Queen

Family

In St Ninians, Stirlingshire, he married on 7th Mar 1839, firstly, Ann MCLACHLAN whom accompanied him to Cape Town, South Africa where she had two children. Unfortunately, she died shortly after on 1st Aug 1842 and was buried at St George’s Anglican Church, Cape Town on 2nd Aug 1842 .

i. Mary Anne FORREST, born 1840 in Cape Town, South Africa , married on 26th Apr 1867, Major General Augustus Philips B.S.C., son of Rev John Peter Henry CHESSHYRE, Rector of Little Easton, Essex at The Church of St Peter and St Paul, Bath, Somerset . She died without issue on 21st Nov 1891 in Bath, Somerset , shortly followed by her husband, who died on 14th Dec 1891 .

ii. John FORREST

In Gibraltar, he married secondly on 12th Aug 1858, Emma, daughter of George H. JENKIN

He died in Bath, Somerset, on 10th Dec 1865.

References

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