Results 1 to 10 of 23

Hybrid View

Previous Post Previous Post   Next Post Next Post
  1. #1

    Default CRAWCOUR -SURGEON DENTISTS -ENGLAND

    As stated in a previous message the history of the Crawcour dentists is well documented in the family history that myself and my distant cousin have recorded over several years. They are all our relatives.This account includes copies of original newspaper articles as well as other data including wills; family trees; apothecary book; GRO records of births/marriages and deaths.
    Amongst the earliest accounts of Samuel Crawcour b 1748- d 1816 ( from Kracow Poland) are newspaper advertisements in 1777-79 in which he offers dental treatment. He was in London at 49 Strand in 1779 but travelling around England including Gloucester and in 1801 Norwich.
    His son Barnett Crawcour established himself as surgeon dentist in Norwich in 1809 and further details of Barnett's involvement in the Norwich Jewish community are described in the Susser Archives amongst other sources.
    The Crawcour dental family were not French but Anglo Jews.
    The family included the following children of Samuel and Rebecca:
    Andrew/Barnett/Isaac/Moses/Catherine/Ann/Henry/David. All the children were born in England. We hold detailed records on all the lines.
    Phillip

  2. #2

    Default EDWARD AND MOSES CRAWCOUR- THE AMALGAM WARS

    For those researchers who have published a range of articles relating to the use of mercury in amalgam fillings both in Europe and America during the 1800s I am enclosing a range of data taken from records I hold on my Crawcour lines. In particular, the American research focuses on the role that Edward and Moses Crawcour ( incorrectly called 'brothers') and their role during the early 1830s on the Amalgam Wars and the ongoing debate regarding the use of amalgam for filling teeth. It is not my intention to enter into this debate but to add some 'flesh to the bones' of my two Crawcour relatives.
    As an aside it is interesting to note that the son of Abraham Crawcour ( Abraham brother's included Moses and my 4x great grandfather David) was Dr Isaac Lionel Crawcour b 14 June 1825 who studied at Guy's hospital and became Professor of Chemistry in New Orleans and served as a surgeon in the Confederate army. In addition, Napthali Asher Hart ( son of Aaron Hart and Ann Rebecca Crawcour ) was also a Doctor of Medicine. This suggests that my Crawcour and Hart lines were not semi- illiterates as some research has suggested.

    Anne Hargreaves in her article 'Dentistry in the British Isles' ('Dental Practice in Europe at the end of the 18th Century, ed Christine Hallam ( Amsterdam 2003) describes the small number of dentists practising in England during the 1790s of whom 8 were itinerant and Samuel Crawcour 1748-1816 father of Moses and David was one of them. It is not surprising given the itinerant nature of these dentists that their adverisements were crucual for their business and 'florid' in many cases. This is certainly true of the Crawcours but also others.

    The Crawcour's did not invent dental amalgam and it is likely to have been Taveu or Bell but Edward and Moses certainly introduced Taveau's amalgam to America and promoted it's vigorous use thereby earning considerable sums. The use of the term Messrs. Crawcour is likely to have led to the misunderstanding that they came from France rather than England and they certainly played on this European aspect.

    Edward Moses married Margaret Buchanan daughter of George Buchanan in the Parish Church of St Stephens Edinburgh. Edward died 23 October 1865 2 Buckingham Terrace Kensington Town County of Middlesex- cause of death- gout and exhaustion. He was 53 years old. His wife had died earlier.
    Moses Crawcour died 2 February 1868 at 379 Strand County of Middlesex age 80 - formerly surgeon dentist- cause of death disease of the heart- age 80.

    Edward's parents were Semira Crawcour nee Cohen de Lara and Isaac Crawcour. Isaac died 10 August 1837 8 Commercial Road St George in the East County of Middlesex -surgeon dentist- cause of death- gout. His wife Semira died 2 November 1851 8 Kings Place St Marys County of Middlesex age 75- cause of death natural decay.

    I will fill in more details of Moses and Edward for those researchers who are interested in the family.
    Phillip

  3. #3

    Default MESSRS CRAWCOUR AND SONS-DENTISTS

    Google Books has a range of articles on Messrs Crawcour dentists. Two in particular are of particular interest in tracking down the movements of Edward and Moses Crawcour who went to New York.
    The New Hampshire Patriot and State Gazette 1835 carried an article from NY called ' A Chase after Dentist' in which an account is given of the 'hunt' for 2 or 3 persons named Crawcour who came to NY from England. The police had a warrant for their arrest based on complaints for poor dentistry. The Crawcour's were claimed to have earned $60000 in 12 weeks. The police were unable to detain them because they had already sailed on the 'Napolean' for England.
    On 12 August 1834 in the New York Commercial Adveriser Messrs Crawcour and Sons advertised their use of ' Royal Mineral Succedaneum'.
    This suggests that they were only in NY for a relatively short time and not earlier than 1835.

    Another later account by Dr A C Castle 1852 describes how six NY dentists 'clubbed' together to pay for one of them to receive a filling from the Crawcours in 1835. The club members then had the filling removed and tested by a chemist who identified that quicksilver had been used. In his article Castle defended his own use of mercury and spoke about his father introducing the amalgam in 1827 in America.

    One can speculate on the motives of the six NY dentists in accusing the Crawcour's of quackery not least because of the sum of money they allegedly earned as well as concerns about the effects of mercury. What we currently lack is an independent description of what precisely was contained in 'Royal Mineral Succedaneum' although some accounts say it was silver from French coins and metal filings including mercury.

    In the People's Medical Journal and Family Physician - Exeter County Court Jan 5 1850 No1 Vol 1
    There is the account of Edward Crawcour being tried for poor quality dentistry following the complaint of a client. Interestingly Edward used the name Cartwright and was accused of doing so deliberately to pretend he was a well known dentist of that name. Edward's step son George Ward had also used an assumed name.
    In his defence ( he was found guilty) Edward claimed that he was trained in dentistry by his father John ( Isaac Crawcour).

    Edward also appears in a High Court case trying to gain access to the bequests left to his children by his uncle Moses.

    These accounts do not portray Edward in a positive light and suggest a person who was struggling with earning income.

    Phillip

  4. #4

    Default EDWARD CRAWCOUR-DENTIST

    The history of Edward Crawcour appears to be an interesting one because in 1842 he was seeking access to funds as one of several creditors including Charles Crawcour residing in Glasgow as trustees under a marriage contract Edward had taken out with his wife. The judgement moved against the creditors for access to funds. In 1856 Edward also sought access to the bequests allocated to his two children John Isaac Crawcour and Semina Helen Crawcour. Again the court ruled against full access to the children's bequest.
    Edward in 1856 is listed as residing as a dentist at 6 York Street Baker Street.
    Edward had married Margaret Buchanan on 8 October 1833 Edinburgh. His wife's memorial at St Cuthberts Parish Churchyard Edinburgh reads:
    Sacred in memory of Mrs Margaret Buchannan who departed this life 14 Sept 1840 aged 42 years, wife of Edward Crawcour Esq'

    Phillip

  5. #5

    Default CRAWCOUR STORIES

    For distant Crawcour relatives and dental researchers looking at the historical context of dentistry see 'Crawcour Stories' by Patrick Coppel Published in Australian Jewish Historical Society Journal Vol XV111 2007 Part 4. Pat and I are descended from David Crawcour son of Samuel and the the article sets out a range of descriptions of the lines based on documentary evidence. In addition, the AJHSJ include a range of other articles on the Australian Crawcour lines as well as related families such as the Hart/Jacobs.
    Phillip

  6. #6

    Default BARNETT CRAWCOUR- MINERAL SUCCEDANEUM

    During further research into my Crawcour lines I have discovered the following records and research.
    Phillip
    The issue of who did or did not invent dental amalgam and the Crawcour dental family is further revealed in the Google Book searches. In his publication 'The Jews of Norfolk and Suffolk before 1840 Malcolm Brown refers to Barnett Crawcour son of Samuel Crawcour as being the originator of Mineral Succedaneum circa 1830.
    However, in trade adverisements the dental family Mallan in the Manchester Chronicle Dec 29 1838 using the title Mons. Mallan and Son stated that they.." particularly invites the members of the Faculty to witness the operation of filling decayed teeth with their mineral succedaneum, of which they are the sole inventors and possessors."
    Their earlier advertisements of 1831 also referred to their use of the amalgam.
    Interestingly A O Taveau who is also identified as the discoverer of 'silver paste' for amalgam is cited in the American Journal of the Medical Sciences Vol 2 1841. Taveau in his article on 'Plugging Teeth' published originally in the 'La Lancette Francaise' stated.. " I have availed myself for thelast four to five years with undoubted advantage of a paste, which I have named 'silver paste' and the composition which I immediately communicated to several members of our profession. It is the same as that which an English dentist has very recently brought to Paris as a new thing and which he has designated very mal a propos by the name of mineral succedaneum which is to say the least of it, nonsensical, since it indicates neither its nature nor its uses. This paste is prepared with pure silver and mercury..'
    Taveau does not name the English dentist but if his article was published in 1841 and cited in the American Journal this places a date of 1836 and Barnett Crawcour died in 1834.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Select a file: