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This is the story of the extraordinary life of Claver Morris and the society in which he lived. After his marriage at Chelsea in 1685, Claver Morris moved to Somerset where he established an outstanding reputation for his work as a physician. His diaries show us how he worked with apothecaries and surgeons, and travelled widely to treat all kind of patients, from the children of the poor to those of the landed gentry. The diaries also tell us about the joys and pains of Claver's personal and family life, and of his various intrigues.
Claver Morris was a man of many talents: immensely enterprising, knowledgeable, sociable and loving. His house was always filled with music, guests and entertainments. Yet he was often faced with disputes and troubles partly of his own making - as when he courted a bishop's daughter, or stole some land to build his Queen Anne house.
The Doctor's World provides a unique portrait of a physician living and working through the political and religious turmoils that beset the nation at the turn of the eighteenth century. Tales of medical treatments, clandestine marriages and self-serving priests are entwined with famous acts of treason and rebellion, and the pleasures and tragedies of daily life.
This meticulously researched book will appeal to all readers of social, political, medical and family history.
List of contents
Chapter 1: Grace / Chapter 2: Claver / Chapter 3: The Cathedral City / Chapter 4: The Physician / Chapter 5: The Monmouth Rebellion / Chapter 6: Mother & Child / Chapter 7: Visits to New Patients / Chapter 8: Dr Morris / Chapter 9: Two Bishops / Chapter 10: Wicked Practices / Chapter 11: A Turning Point / Chapter 12: Secret Marriage & Courtship / Chapter 13: William Penn / Chapter 14: Baby Betty / Chapter 15: Bad Omens / Chapter 16: A New Home / Chapter 17: Wedding Bells / Chapter 18: The Great Storm / Chapter 19: The Tolling Bell / Chapter 20: "Drink If You Please" / Chapter 21: High Crimes & Misdemeanours / Chapter 22: Among the Gentry / Chapter 23: Queen Anne's Peace / Chapter 24: Family & Friends / Chapter 25: The Letter / Chapter 26: The Severance / Chapter 27: Loss & Reconciliation / Chapter 28: The Common Lands / Chapter 29: A Contested Election / Chapter 30: The Glastonbury Enclosure / Chapter 31: 'A Very Hot Dry Summer' / Chapter 32: Seen by Candlelight / Chapter 33: Dining Alone
About the author
Paul Hyland is an award-winning teacher and Emeritus Professor of History. He is a specialist in Eighteenth Century Studies and editor of
The Enlightenment: a Sourcebook and Reader, published by Routledge.
Summary
The Doctor’s World provides a unique portrait of a physician living and working through the political and religious turmoils that beset the nation at the turn of the eighteenth century.
