Gowers shorthand diary, correspondence and children’s journals
July 2018
We are delighted to have received this transcription of Gowers’ shorthand diaries diligently transcribed by Ann Scott. Two hard copies are available in the Library.
This includes two diaries kept while he was a medical apprentice and a great deal of detail about daily life in Coggeshall, Essex, in the 1860s. The most interesting of the entries were incorporated into the following book: William Richard Gowers 1845-1915, Exploring the Victorian Brain Ann Scott, Mervyn Eadie, and Andrew Lees. OUP, 2012.
June 2016
We are delighted to report that we have digitised an extensive collection of correspondence addressed to Sir William Gowers, as well as a collection of Gowers’ children’s journals and stories, and certificates, all mainly from the late 19th century.
The documents were on loan from the Gowers family, to allow us to digitise the materials, helping to preserve them and improve access to researchers.
The Children’s journals are available online.
Selected letters:
- Letter from Hughlings Jackson congratulating Gowers on his knighthood
- Letter from Hughlings Jackson praising the accuracy of Gowers’ drawings
- Letter from Hughlings Jackson on Gowers’ treatment of patients
Correspondents include Kipling, Lister, Jenner, and Hughlings Jackson, writing on a variety of topics, along with numerous letters of congratulations on Gowers’s knighthood. Inventory of correspondence
Other digitised files are available upon request or to view in the Library, while we obtain appropriate permissions.
These documents complement the existing collection of Gowers materials in our Archives, including case notes and illustrations.