So who was Dr Blackham?

Ninian Boggs McIntire Blackham was born in County Dublin in 1860. His father was Charles Blackham, the Tax Master at the Dublin Law Courts, and Ninian was his second son.

Ninian Boggs McIntire Blackham

A newspaper article in the 'Loughborough Echo' in November 1952 indicates that Ninian Boggs McIntire Blackham came to Loughborough in 1891, to take up the post of assistant to the Medical Officer of Health, Dr Corcoran. The entry for Dr Blackham in the Medical Directory of 1905 reads as follows (with my comments in square brackets):

"Blackham, Ninian Boggs McIntire, 22 Beacon Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire - LRCPI [Royal College of Physicians of Ireland] and LM, LRCSI [Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland] and LM 1893; LM Rot Hosp Dub" 

Assuming that LM means Licentiate in Midwifery, then Rot Hosp Dub is the Rotunda maternity hospital in Dublin.

In 1894, Dr Blackham goes back to Ireland, and marries Georgina Taylor in Limerick, where she had been born in 1871. The couple's only child, daughter Irene, was born in Loughborough in 1899, and the family lived at 22 Beacon Road.

In March 1911, Dr Corcoran died, and Dr Blackham takes over as Medical Officer of Health. He, his wife, Georgina, and their daughter Irene continue to live at 22 Beacon Road until 1912, when they move to 25 Victoria Street, where Dr Corcoran had had his surgery. In 1927, Irene marries Cecil Lindsay Lapper, who was a physician and surgeon.

22 Beacon Road

By 1929, Dr Blackham is a tenant gardener of garden number 26 on Burton Walks, and is allowed to build a house here – No. 4, ‘Friesland’ - costing over £1,000 (with a rent of £23 19s.) on the plot. On 25th October 1931, while still living in the Burton Walks house, Georgina dies, and probate is granted on 20th October 1932 to Dr Blackham. After being re-sworn, Georgina's effects amounted to £783 8s. 10d.

Two years after the death of his first wife, Dr Blackham marries Patricia Minchin in Loughborough, and in 1937 he retires from his post as Medical Officer of Health, although continues in his medical practice. 

On the night the 1939 register was taken, Dr Blackham and his wife, Patricia, are living at Burton Walks, and Patricia’s sister, Jane Minchin is also listed here. In the same register, Irene and husband Cecil are listed as living at 8 Albert Place, and as this is the register taken in relation to the Second World War, it also notes that Cecil was a medical examiner for recruits (possibly to first aid positions?) and Irene was on ARP duty.  [Photo]

Albert Place

The 1940s saw several notable events in the life of the family. In 1942 Dr Blackham contracted diphtheria but luckily made a complete recovery. In 1945 at the age of 85, he finally completely retires from medical practice! On 27th April 1947, Cecil Lindsay Lapper of 8 Albert Place, died. Probate was granted on 19 July 1947 to his widow, Irene, and the effects amounted to £14,739 16s. 2d.. In 1949, Dr Blackham, and wife, Patricia leave the house on Burton Walks, and probably move to Spinney Cottage, on Vicary Lane, Woodhouse.

On 18th November 1952, at the age of 91, Dr Blackham dies, and the funeral takes place on 20th November at the church of St Mary in the Elms in Woodhouse. Probate was granted in April 1953 to his widow, Patricia Muriel Blackham, and his effects amounted to £8,562 12s. 11d.. It was around this time that Dr Blackham's name was commemorated when a residential street, Blackham Road, in Loughborough was named after him.

In June 1977, Irene Lapper, daughter of Dr Blackham and his first wife, Georgina, and widow of Cecil, died. Probate was granted on 25 November 1977, and effects amounted to £31,042. The following year saw the death of Patricia, widow of Dr Blackham. She died on 29 June 1978, and probate was granted on 15th November, the effects amounting to £130,150.

You are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follows:

Dyer, Lynne (2022). So who was Dr Blackham?. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2022/06/so-who-was-dr-blackham.html   [Accessed 17 June 2022]

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