No ordinary surgeon : the life and times of William Binley Dickinson / Dorothy Bentley Smith.

"This is the story of William Binley Dickinson, a fascinating character whose life encompasses much that is notable about Regency and Victorian Britain. An esteemed man of medicine as well as an ardent supporter of the arts and scholarship, Dickinson was involved in much of Macclesfield's development over the nineteenth century, holding senior roles in the government of the area. He saw the toll taken on ordinary citizens and local government by such varied factors as parliamentary reform, the rise of free trade, widespread revolt, epidemics and the deaths of monarchs. William's story is also the story of those around him; a prolific letter writer, the plethora of written material left to us and recorded in this book gives the reader an insight not only into his life, but how he touched those around him. Key among his correspondents is a young Thomas Thornycroft. Later to become the highly successful sculptor responsible for the statue 'Boadicea and Her daughters' by Westminster Bridge, Thornycroft first appears as a distracted young man, unable to hold down an apprenticeship. It was through William's characteristic determination and decency that this talented youth rose to the high status he did, and his is just one of the many remarkably human stories to come from the life of this singular man."-- Provided by publisher.