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Trivial Trivia - taking trivia to new levels
03-04-2016, 02:20 PM (This post was last modified: 03-04-2016 03:18 PM by L Verge.)
Post: #874
RE: Trivial Trivia - taking trivia to new levels
Okay, I will bend a bit and give Eva the win, but I still question his purpose being the family physician at that point.

The answer that I was looking for is from Wayne Temple's new book, Lincoln's Surgeons, with a back-up citation here: http://www.papersofabrahamlincoln.org/Ne...ITOR51.pdf

His name was Dr. John Richards, and he was born in Belfast, Ireland, about 1810. He attended medical school at the University of Edinburgh and another one in Paris. His uncle (also Dr. John Richards) practiced in Alexandria, Virginia, and stressed that his nephew should come to America. He did in 1831, and received his M.D. from the University of Maryland in 1834. In 1841, he married Laura Peyton of Baltimore, whose father had been a mayor of Alexandria with an estate of six acres, three slaves, and a large, brick house at the end of today's well-traveled King Street. Col. Francis Peyton (the father) was also a physician and had served as a surgeon in the U.S. 7th Infantry Regiment during 1799 and 1800.

Dr & Mrs. Richards and their three sons lived in Alexandria too in 1850, with an estate valued at $5000 and two servants. In 1852, however, they moved into Washington, D.C. with his office in his home at 274 F Street (about three blocks from the White House). It appears that he was chosen as the physician for the First Family shortly after the First Inaugural.

He died from pneumonia on January 19, 1862, and was buried from his home. His place of burial is not known.
Be sure to read the link to the Papers of Abraham Lincoln to see final correspondence between the Lincolns and Dr. Richards's widow.
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RE: Trivial Trivia - taking trivia to new levels - L Verge - 03-04-2016 02:20 PM

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