H-Albion readers may not be familiar with _Eighteenth Century
Medics_, by P.J. and R.V. Wallis, published by the Project for Historical
Biobibliography in Newcastle upon Tyne (1988), but it is an invaluable
source of fast biographical information for anyone who lived in the
eighteenth century and practiced as a physician, surgeon, apothecary, or
healer. It takes a little time to master the code, but the information
below shows what it can offer. This reference work
shows a John Chester apothecary, indentured to John Chittenden with a date
of record of 6-4-1788. The term of the indenture was 5 years and the
premium was 105 pounds. John Chittenden was an apothecary of
Tooting, Surrey. He may be the same John Chittenden listed as born
before 1765 and dying after 1788 who is described as John Chittenden
Master of the Royal Collect of Surgeons, surgeon apothecary, of Lower
Tooting, Surrey, who subscribed to a book in 1789. The same reference
work has two other John Chesters who are probably not the same man. A
John Chester who was alive in 1683, and a John Chester of Dulverton
Somerset, who is described as a "surgeon" and who took a John Warren as
an apprentice in 1778. A John Warren practiced as apothecary earlier in
Dulverton, taking an apprentice of his own in 1751--possibly the John
Warren apprenticed to Chester in 1778 was a relative, but there are a
great number of Warrens to follow up. I would try to follow both the
John Chesters, since one practiced in Somerset and the other was
described as an apothecary rather than a surgeon, but my money would be
on the apothecary as the most likely one.
Margaret DeLacy
margaret@teleport.COM Public Access User --- Not affiliated with TECHbooks
Public Access UNIX and Internet at (503) 220-1016 (2400-14400, N81)