Hi Helen Unfortunately all occupations of the past were not set as much as they are in the 20th and 21st century. In the 1760's he could have been an amatuer Doctor or Apothacary? I am not certain when exactly you had to have formal qualifications to be called a doctor but think that happened later in the 1800's. I think this subject was written about in one of the UK Mags Family History Magazine or Family History Monthly or Practical Family History some time ago. Sorry cant recall which year or month exactly. The old occupation of Apothacary split into Doctor and Phamacist in the 1800's I think. Your "Ameateur" may have done both roles in the 1760's when it was not yet a profession. Sounds just as difficult as having an Ag Lab. A general term for someone who may have actually been a specialist in one type of Ag work but they were all lumped together. I guess A shearer was an Ag Lab, one ancester that was a carter was an Ag Lab, Someone who sowed the crops were ag Labs etc etc. Good Luck on your Doc' regards Michael Cheeseman -----Original Message----- From: Helen Jones [mailto:helen@melcombe.freeserve.co.uk] Sent: Tuesday, 17 February 2004 5:24 AM To: ENG-DORSET-LIFE-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [DOR-LIFE] How to research a Doctor in the 18th century? Before I give up, does anyone know the best way of researching a Doctor in the 18th century? I have been chasing my Samuel West for years. I have him in Fontmell Magna in the 1760s but have never found where he came from. There were a number of West families in the area but I cannot place him with any. I have now found one reference to him as Dr.West. This may a mistake or it may be an honorary title - his wife's brother was also referred to as 'Doctor' because he was an amateur medicine man. If, however, he was a qualified Doctor, how do I find out what he was a Doctor of, and where he gained his qualifications (presumably Oxford or Cambridge)? If he was a Doctor then I supposed he may have come from outside Dorset hence my lack of success in tracing him. His wife's family were fairly well off and lesser gentry and most of the children seemed to marry well, so it may well be that he did have a profession. Has anyone carried out research of this sort before? It makes a change from all my usual ag labs! (BTW the family had lost all their fortunes and lands generations before it got anywhere near me!) Helen Helen Jones, Weymouth, Dorset helen@melcombe.freeserve.co.uk http://www.melcombe.freeserve.co.uk ==== ENG-DORSET-LIFE Mailing List ==== Visitng the Society of Genealogists? Check their online catalogue to see which Dorset registers they hold: http://www.sog.org.uk/prc/dor.html ============================== Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 --- Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.588 / Virus Database: 372 - Release Date: 13/02/04 --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.588 / Virus Database: 372 - Release Date: 13/02/04

Also remember that 'doctor' was/still is an academic title, not just medicine. For example, "Doctor" Johnson compiled the first real English Dictionary in 1755 - although I believe that this was more an honorary title than the equivalent of a modern PhD. Geoff