Catalogue description Papers of Dr. George Rice

This group of records comprises a rather incomplete set of personal papers of Dr. Rice and possibly also his wife and daughter.

Rice, George, fl 1848-1935, of Sutton

They were donated to the local studies service by Mr W.Ryder of Croydon.

• Beddington, Surrey
• Wallington, Surrey

George Rice was born in c.1848; a black American he was probably the son of G.A.Rice, steward of the steamer "Pilgrim" (see items 39/4-5). In 1870 he emigrated to Edinburgh where he studied medicine under Joseph Lister - the pioneer of antiseptic treatment in surgery. Rice was later to give one of his children the middle-name of Lister. After graduating in 1874 in medicine, surgery and obstetrics he remained in Edinburgh for the next year working at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary before moving south to eventually settle in Plumstead, London.

Dr. Rice's connections with Sutton appear to start in about 1885, although relatively little is known about his life there. He and his wife, Florence Mary, (a native of Plumstead) had two sons baptised in Sutton parish church in 1885 and 1887; unfortunately both appear to have died young. From at least 1886 until 1917 he was employed at the Belmont Workhouse, a reference from which in 1917 shows that he specialised in treating male epileptic patients (see item 39/20). From c.1919 until c.1935 he lived at Sagamore, 50 Egmont Road, Sutton; his daughter M.L.Rice lived at 50a but appears to have taken over the whole house from 1938 when she ran a preparatory school from that address.

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