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The Society for Relief of Widows and Orphans of Medical Men.
Whilst the Society is not the largest of its type it is certainly
one of the oldest. – It was founded in 1788 in the Grays Inn
Coffee House. Of course at that time there were no state benefits
and really only the poor-house awaited those who had been left
destitute. It was originally only for medical men living in London
and its immediate vicinity. It wasn’t until 1964 that the by-law was
altered so as to permit doctors resident within 60 miles of Charing
Cross to become members. Nowadays membership is open to doctors
living in any part of the British Isles. In 1983 the Society became
“politically correct” and women members were admitted and now there
are many women members and also women members of the Court of
Directors.
The original fund was started in 1788 by the seven founder members
contributing three guineas each and they appear to have had four
treasurers at that time to look after these funds! They certainly
did a good job as by 1805 the membership had grown to 300 and the
fund to £13,300.
The membership numbers fluctuated, reaching a peak in 1870 of 454.
However, the funds subscribed over the last two centuries have been
carefully invested by the trustees to ensure a good annual income
that can be deployed to assist beneficiaries. In the early
part of the twentieth century it seems that the widows of one in
five or one in six members were applying for assistance! Many
doctors just looked upon membership of the Society as the provision
they made for their families after their demise. Nowadays we
would like to think that doctors also join the Society in order to
assist their less fortunate colleagues.
The Society has therefore been in existence for well over two
hundred years, for the bulk of that time making grants only to the
widows and families of its members. However with the advent of state
benefits, and the members making better provision privately for
their families, the call on the Society’s funds by the members
reduced. At the end of the 1980’s changes were made which enabled
the Society to assist those medical families in need who had not
been members. |
