Lord Lister / by Sir Rickman John Godlee, bt.

  • Rickman Godlee
Date:
1918
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Lord Lister / by Sir Rickman John Godlee, bt. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    70 years of age, named Lawford, and an old widow Horner, whose maiden name was Garnet. They were both children of sisters of his grandfather. They did not remember their grandfather, who had been a considerable farmer and miller. Then he describes Bingley : “I omitted to tell thee that I came here on a horse I have borrowed of Charles Harris of Bradford, and by this means I have had an opportunity of enjoying to the utmost this lovely country. Indeed, I think I have not seen many sweeter spots than about the neighbour¬ hood of Bingley. The fine open winding valley with the hills that slope down to it on each side—covered with wood or intersected by hedge rows sometimes cultivated to the summit, in other parts topped with heath or with masses of rock, the rich meadows in the bottom with a river winding through them and where the growth of the trees shows the luxuriousness of the soil. Altogether it forms, I think, a specimen of the most beautiful character of the country occupied by the coal formation. The moorlands on the hill tops are dreary, as I experienced yesterday in riding over to Addingham when I lost my way upon them, and I found the inhabitants of some lonely houses that are scattered here and there over them as wild as they, and speaking an indistinct jargon that I could not compre¬ hend. The children here wear clogs, and make a droll clatter as they run along the street which reminds me of Keswick, but the sandstone houses here have not the cheerful appearance of the whitened limestone buildings of Westmoreland. It is thus clear that the Bingley Listers lived in the very depths of the country, and were not “ renowned by intellect, by action or by station.” The usual paternal family tree is preserved with a few isolated facts which are useless in seeking for indications of hereditary genius. Possibly the first spark prompted Joseph Lister in the early part of the eighteenth century to seek his fortunes in London. If he had not done So, it may be supposed his descendants, if any, would have resembled the humble residue at Bingley after two generations had passed away. It is interesting to speculate upon the question whether it was the influence of London alone that made his son a well-educated merchant, his grandson an accomplished scientific man, and his great-grandson a genius, or how much of this advance may have depended on maternal influences. On this head there is little to be said. All that can be added is that the Harrises came from the Allendale
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