Hadleigh Doctors Remembered

1930s onward

The first Doctor that I can remember was Doctor Harrison Carr.  His surgery was in a small bungalow at the east end of Hadleigh opposite the Salvation Army fields. In the back was a dispensary where he made up his own potions, cough mixtures, purges etc.

Next, Dr. James who lived in Hadleigh Hall and built a surgery on the west side, with a wooden bench around the waiting room. He was joined by Dr. McGladdery and later by Dr. Elliott who also opened a surgery in Thundersley Village. When The Hollies was taken over as the new surgery,  Dr. John McGladdery joined the team and when he retired Dr. Lester took over with a new team.

Doctor & Mrs. McGladdery with John McGladdery
Ian Hawks
Dr.James and his wife Helen
Ian Hawks
Dr. James with his daughter Caroline
Ian Hawks

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  • Dr John attended my birth at Castle Court flats in Castle Lane; must have stayed my doctor for 20 or 30 years after that. Anyone know when he retired?

    By Peter Chapman (14/02/2024)
  • I saw Dr John McGladdery at the Holly’s surgery yesterday whilst waiting for an appointment. I found it a little sad that the receptionist had no idea who he was. What a lovely man and always the ultimate professional.
    I remember the bench and the chairs placed in a circle, and later on a little play area for children.

    By Deborah (15/10/2022)
  • I only have memories of my mother telling me what a lovely man Dr Rough was, the best doctor she’d ever known.
    PS. I can see a Jeanette Quantrille née Case has commented- we were friends at The Deanes School and I was at her house when my appendix began grumbling and Dr sent me to hospital!!

    By Karen Weal née Payne (09/01/2021)
  • It was Dr Sam McGladdery who diagnosed me having appendicitis and called out the consultant to confirm! I was whipped to hospital in an ambulance. Had a month off school to recuperate and never did catch up with the work! I was 15, 1961. We lived at 225 Kiln Road then – my dad built the house. Every Dr in the Hadleigh practice served us well – though we were rarely ill!

    By Helen Rubin (nee Foyster) (05/12/2020)
  • Dr Donald Rough was my father. I remember living at 276 Kiln Road and there was a surgery on the side of our house. I am of course biased but my Dad was a lovely, kind and gentle man as some of the other people have noted. My mum was a nurse and so she helped my Dad sometimes in the surgery. I miss my Dad and my Mum very much. I remember going to play at Neil Salmon’s house – it was great fun – but I was frightened of their dog – a boxer. I also used to play a lot with Andrew Hurrell who lived in Hadleigh Park Avenue.

    By Clive Rough (28/09/2020)
  • I remember Dr John McGladdery very vividly and fondly as when it was my 16th birthday ?, I lived with my parents in Castle Road, Hadleigh. On the actual day of my birthday I was taken very ill with shingles in my middle ear drum, it affected all the nerves in the right side of my face, it was horrendously painful. I can remember him saying that he had never seen such a young person with shingles so badly in his career. Bless him he used to come and see me every day to see how I was progressing. I have very warm memories of him, what a truly lovely man.

    By Josephine Ivatt (09/07/2020)
  • Dr John McGladdery (junior) was our family dr when I was growing up on the Westwood Estate in Hadleigh during the 60’s and first half of the 70’s. I remember him being a lovely man and if memory serves, had a scottish brogue. And yes, he did live on Beresford Gardens!
    As some one mentioned, I too recall the waiting room with the wooden bench seating. He also made house calls and I recall being impressed with his dr’s bag he always had at hand.
    Also, unless I have my buildings mixed up, our dentist was upstairs from the dr’s surgery. Unfortunately I can’t recall his name but I remember him being an equally nice man.

    By Steven Grisley (03/10/2019)
  • Dr Rough was our doctor and he visited me in Southend hospital after I had my appendix out. Good old days when you got a personal service. He was a very caring gentle man.
    P.S. I also remember going to his surgery at his house, sitting in what I thought at the time was the waiting room, only to be told by his wife/housekeeper that he now worked at the clinic near the bus station on Vic House corner! I was only 15 or so and very embarrassed!

    By Roy Jeffs (31/08/2019)
  • I remember Dr John McGladdery, he was/is? such a calmly spoken and friendly doctor. I was always getting some sort of injury as a young boy and ended up at the surgery where he’d calmly fix me up until the next time. We lived at number 62 Rectory Road so it was easy for my mother to pick me up and rush me over!!

    By Phil (18/03/2019)
  • Yes, I remember Dr Rough quite well, very nice man. I was friends with his son Clive and regularly used to go round their house in Kiln Road. He had another son, Stephen and both of them went to Felsted boarding school I believe. They were all fans of Chelsea. I remember the little surgery built onto the side of their house.
    I lived about four houses away, going towards Vic House Corner.

    By Neil Salmon (15/01/2019)
  • Don Rough was one of the doctors at Walker Drive along with Dr Leydon when he first came to the area. They even had a dispensary in the surgery. It wasn’t unusual to see Dr Rough doing his rounds on a bicycle when he first started. Eventually he built a surgery on the side of his house in Kiln Rd just past the shops but he stayed with the Walker Drive surgery until he retired; creating a partnership with various other Doctors until it shut and became a dental clinic. I think he was living in one of the tower blocks off Grand Drive when he passed away.

    By Rob Keen (26/12/2018)
  • Anyone remember a Doctor Rough?
    1950s —70s his surgery was on the A13. Near Hadleigh Park Avenue.

    By Phil Chapman (22/12/2018)
  • Dr James was my parent’s doctor; and mine when I was born.  I was delivered by Nurse Grumbridge.   I remember, very well, both Doctor Mac’s and Dr Smithson.  I think it was the older Doc Mac used to have a sweetie jar in his room for “little ones.”  I once had to call him out to my father and he was a little cross with me on the phone.  When he came and saw how poorly dad was, he patted me on the shoulder and with much humility, said  ”You did the right thing, well done!” All of them were very kind and caring doctors.   

    By Ve Hutley (03/04/2014)
  • I remember Dr James’s wife, she was blonde and beautiful and very nice, she rode a horse around Hadleigh and I believe that she was ‘thrown’ by a horse and died young and tragically. She was also I understand the 1st winner of the big prize with a premium bond that Dr. James bought her.

    By Susan James (30/01/2014)
  • Dr John was my Doctor for over 20 years, he lived in Beresford Gardens I think? One of his surgery colleagues delivered both my sister and 2 years later me, home births!

    By Andrew Aldridge (10/10/2013)
  • I can remember there being a young and an old Dr McGladdery. One of them, the older I think, had a small surgery in Hart Road, Thundersley, connected to his house. After this closed we had to go to the surgery in Rectory Rd Hadleigh. I was at the Deanes School with young Dr McGladdery’s son Andrew, I think he went on to become a doctor?

    By Jeanette Quantrill (née Case) (04/09/2013)
  • I remember Dr McGladdery visiting my grandmother Francis Potter who lived in Oak Road, and I played with Caroline James and rode her horse (or tried to!) There was a hole in the fence at the bottom of my grandparent’s garden through which I could get to Caroline’s garden. I am now 75 and live in Devon.

    By Val Pounds (18/08/2013)
  • I remember the surgery with the wooden bench, polishing it with our backsides making it slippery as possible in 1960’s. Our doctor was Dr Smithson – he was always kind he lived on the corner by the recreation ground.

    By Charlotte Grigg (04/07/2013)
  • I remember my Mum going to see Dr. McGladdery at the surgery in Hadleigh, the one with the wooden seating all around the room.  As a child I went with Mum and used to love looking at all the magazines on the big table in the middle of the room. I remember liking the Punch magazines and Just William stories in another one.

    By carol powley nee southward (29/07/2012)
  • Dr.James and Dr.Elliot both performed a minor operation on me at home, those were the days.

    By Ian Hawks (12/05/2012)
  • I remember Dr James; I had trouble breathing through my nose when I was a child due to enlarged adenoids and my mother paid privately for Dr James to come to the house and perform the operation at home. It sounds unbelievable but it is quite true, I think the waiting lists in those days were quite a few years and after that I could breathe properly!

    By Kay Butler (08/05/2012)
  • Dr McGladdery was our family doctor from when I was seven till I was twenty six. He looked after my mother when she was dying in 1958 and delivered my first child in 1959. He was a real gentleman and the best family doctor one could wish for. He has always been part of my childhood memories of Hadleigh.

    By Mary Fairweather (nee Buckley) (03/04/2012)
  • We remember Dr Samuel McGladdery for his incredible kindness to us when my Dad died in 1953. Dr Mac used to visit him in hospital and when my sister had pneumonia he gave her an Easter egg. He was so courteous and always raised his hat when he met us and remembered our names! A true family doctor!

    By Margaret Smith and Rosemary Morgan (24/02/2012)
  • I remember Dr Harrison Carr very well. He was called upon to stitch my wounds on a couple of occasions, when I was seven years old and two years later when I had bad cuts. I suffered in silence the first time but I screamed the place down the second time and had to be held down by two men before he could do the necessary. The waiting room was quite full when I went in, but strangely empty when I emerged.

    By Alan Faux (18/12/2011)
  • Hello, interesting reading about the doctors. I knew Dr. McGladdery, he was a gentleman who always shook hands with you, and delivered a lot of my friend’s babies. A Doctor Elliot delivered my two sons. He came after Dr. James. Dr. James was my doctor and he took my tonsils out when I was 13 years old and bought me a bottle of Eau de cologne when I was recovering. I remember seeing his wife riding her horse round Hadleigh. Those were the good old days of Hadleigh. Pat.

    By Pat Millard (29/09/2011)
  • I have consulted all the doctors named above – with the exception of Dr. Carr. I’m still going strong at 77

    By rene williams (08/09/2011)
  • I remember Dr McGladdery. He confirmed my pregnancy in 1967.

    By Dee (20/07/2011)

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