BARRY, John O'Brien Milner (1815-1881)

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0113 MS-BARRJ
Held at	: Royal College of Physicians   Click here to find out how to view this collection at https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/archive-and-historical-library-collections ›
Full title	: BARRY, John O'Brien Milner (1815-1881)
Date(s)	: 1837-1882
Level of description	: Collection (fonds)
Extent	: 1 volume
Name of creator(s)	: Barry | John O'Brien Milner | 1815-1881 | physician

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

John O'Brien Milner Barry was born 26 February 1815 in Cork, the second son of John Milner Barry of Cork, the first doctor to introduce vaccination into an Irish town (Cork in 1800) and founder of the Cork Fever Hospital. Barry studied medicine in Paris between 1833 and 1836. He graduated MD from Edinburgh a year later; the subject of his thesis was Endocarditis. In 1838 became a Licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

He set up practice first in Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, 1839-42, and then in Totnes, Devon, where he practiced 1844-51. In 1852 he settled permanently in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, where he served as physician to the Infirmary and Dispensary. It has been said that he was

'a safe and an excellent practitioner, having a thorough knowledge of his profession, and his advice was often sought by his professional neighbours and the medical men in the surrounding districts' (BMJ, 1 Oct. 1881).

He became a Member of the Royal College of Physicians in 1859. During his career Barry made various contributions to medical journals, on the subjects of Cystine, Leucocythemia, Diphtheritis, and Ovarian diseases. In 1876 he was elected Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians.

He continued practicing in Tunbridge Wells until his death. Barry married twice. He died suddenly of heart disease on 15 September 1881, aged 66, and left behind a widow.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers of John O'Brien Milner Barry, 1837-1882, including a manuscript copy of his thesis on Endocarditis, 1837; letters from patients, 1853-58; photograph of Barry, 1877; obituaries, 1881; and newspaper articles relating to a memorial window in his honour, 1882

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

Conditions governing access:

Unrestricted

Conditions governing reproduction:

All requests should be referred to the Archivist

Finding aids:

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Provenance of the collection is unknown

Allied Materials

Related material:

National Register of Archives: Click here to view NRA record

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Sources: Lives of the Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians of London, 1826-1925, compiled by G.H. Brown (London, 1955) [Munk's Roll, vol. IV, p.238]; Dictionary of National Biography, vol. III, Leslie Stephen (ed.) (London, 1885) [DNB, vol. III, pp.325-26. The entry is for Barry's father, with some detail about Barry]; 'Obituary: John O'Brien Milner Barry', British Medical Journal, 1 October 1881
Compiled by Katharine Williams

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
March 2003