John Ralph Fenwick facts for kids

John Ralph Fenwick (1761–1855) was an English doctor who lived in Newcastle upon Tyne and Durham City. He was known for his strong beliefs in the 1790s, especially for wanting to end slavery. He was also a military officer and a judge. He was good friends with many important politicians in the north-east of England.

Early Life of John Fenwick

John Fenwick was born on November 14, 1761. He was the younger son of John Fenwick, who was also a doctor in Morpeth. His family was Catholic, and John went to the College of St Omer for his education. Later, he studied medicine at the University of Leyden. He received his M.D. degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1782.

From 1786 to 1791, he worked as a doctor at the Newcastle Infirmary. After that, he started his own private practice in Durham City in 1790.

Involvement in Local Affairs (before 1815)

John Fenwick was part of a group of people who wanted to change politics. They often wrote to Christopher Wyvill, a moderate reformer. In 1794, Fenwick believed that most people wanted everyone to have the right to vote. He was hopeful about changes in the government.

However, by 1797, he became less hopeful about democratic reforms. He felt it was important to avoid causing a revolution. An invasion scare in 1798 also made reformers less optimistic.

In 1798, Fenwick helped create the Durham Volunteer Association. This group was an infantry unit. It was disbanded during the Peace of Amiens. But when the Napoleonic Wars started again in 1804, the Durham Volunteers were reformed. Fenwick was a lieutenant-colonel in the Volunteers. He resigned in 1806 because of poor health. He also became a Justice of the Peace and a Deputy Lieutenant for County Durham.

In 1807, at a meeting in Durham County, Fenwick spoke against a message to the King. This happened after the government led by the Ministry of All the Talents fell. Fenwick supported a bill that would have given more rights to Catholics. This bill had failed, leading to the government's collapse. He was supported by Ralph John Lambton and Sir Ralph Milbanke, who were Members of Parliament. Even though Fenwick spoke out, the original message to the King was approved.

Fenwick was a long-time friend of Charles Grey. Charles Grey later became Prime Minister and helped pass the Reform Bill 1832. Fenwick and other reformers in Newcastle, like Charles William Bigge and James Losh, sometimes grew tired of Grey's slow approach to reform.

Involvement in Local Affairs (1815–1830)

After the Peterloo Massacre, Fenwick was part of a group in County Durham that wanted an investigation. They asked the High Sheriff of Durham to call a meeting. John Davison, a local priest, wrote an open letter to Fenwick about the event. He argued that public opinion was already changing its view of what happened.

The Peterloo issue was very important in the 1820 general election in County Durham. It was especially used by John George Lambton, known as "Radical Jack," who later became the Earl of Durham. Fenwick was a good friend of his.

In 1822, a campaign by Thomas Joplin from Newcastle gained support in County Durham. Joplin wanted to end the Bank of England's monopoly. Fenwick was part of a local group that supported Joplin's banking ideas.

Fenwick was also a Vice-President of the Newcastle Society for Promoting the gradual Abolition of Slavery. This society worked to end slavery in British lands. The national Anti-Slavery Society held campaigns in 1823 and 1826. Fenwick and James Losh spoke at local meetings during these campaigns. In 1826, Fenwick spoke at a meeting in the Durham Town Hall that called for the freedom of enslaved people.

Later Life

In 1834, Fenwick led the meeting where the Surtees Society was created. This society focuses on historical documents from the North East of England. Fenwick, Edward Shipperdson, and William Nicholas Darnell were on the Society's first committee.

John Fenwick died at his home in the North Bailey, Durham, on January 11, 1855. He was 93 years old. He was buried in Durham Cathedral on January 17.

Works

John Fenwick wrote several works during his life:

• Dissertatio Medica Inauguralis, De Plethora (1782) – This was his medical dissertation.
• Calcareous Manures: Electric Fluids in Vegetation (1798) – These were two essays he read to the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne.
• Sketch of the Professional life and character of John Clark, M.D. (1806) – This was a memoir about another doctor, John Clark.
• On the Use of Oil of Turpentine in taenia (1811) – This was a letter published in a medical journal.

Family

In 1812, Fenwick married Dorothy Spearman (who died in 1838). She was the daughter of Robert Spearman. Soon after they married, he stopped working as a doctor. His nephew, Thomas James Fenwick M.D., inherited his property when he died.