The F other gill Family as Ornithologists. 191 
All the above may, at first glance, seem a long preamble to 
The object of this article, but I feel that this genealogical 
sketch has been necessary to substantiate my contention that 
John Fothergill (I) was the ‘ ingenious surgeon at Askrig.’ 
‘ John Fothergill was born on 13th May, 1785, at Carr End, 
Wensleydale, Yorkshire. He was a Member of the Royal 
College of Surgeons, London, and practised medicine in 
Askrigg, County York, and in Darlington, County Durham. 
He was married 25th May, 1815, to Ann Rimington, daughter 
of Edward Rimington, cabinet-maker, of Liverpool, by whom 
he had a family of five sons and two daughters. His three 
eldest children were born at Askrigg on 29th February, 1816, 
23rd August, 1817, and 13th July, 1819, but his fourth child 
was born on 10th January, 1821, at Darlington, where his 
remaining two children were born.* John Fothergill died on 
20 th January, 1858, and was buried in the Friends’ burial 
ground behind the Meeting-house at Darlington. He was 
well known as a strong advocate of total abstinence from in- 
toxicants, and was, in his day, one of the original half dozen 
doctors who asserted that Man can live without alcohol. A 
drinking fountain was erected, in 1862, to his memory in 
Bondgate, Darlington, but was subsequently removed to its 
present position in the public park.’f 
Several of John Fothergill’s descendants are still alive, 
and I have already said that two of his grandsons have given 
me material assistance. The class tickets, showing that 
John Fothergill (I) studied at Guy’s and St. Thomas’s 
Hospitals in 1813 and 1814 are still treasured, as is also a 
daguerreotype photograph of him and several of his sketches 
of birds. Some of these latter I have seen, notably those of 
a Smew dated 1806, a Magpie dated 1807 and a Swallow-tailed 
Kite dated 1854, and of the last mentioned I believe that 
there is more than one copy extant. These sketches clearly 
show that John Fothergill (I) was a careful ornithological 
artist. He appears to have been an affectionate and prudent 
father, and as regards his medical practice he was one of the 
old-fashioned ultra-professional doctors who did not send out 
bills. His wealthier patients used to send him payments 
from time to time, but the poorer ones paid nothing : needless 
to say he did not leave a fortune. It may perhaps be worth 
adding that his son, Dr. John Rimington Fothergill (b. 25th 
March, 1825) joined his father in practice at Darlington in 
1848, and that he only died so recently as 13th December, 1915. 
* Bernard Thistlethwaite, tom. cit. pp. 161-2. 
t The inscription on the fountain states that John Fothergill was 
‘ President of the Darlington Total Abstinence Society from its formation 
until his death,’ that he was ‘ Highly respected for his professional skill 
and practical Philanthropy,’ and that the fountain was ‘ erected by the 
voluntary subscriptions of his fellow townsmen.’ 
1922 June 1 
