Lot 549
Nourse, William Edward Charles. Autograph diaries and journals in ink, 6 vols., 1842 - 52, including separate accounts of travels in Norway and Egypt, 8vo., cont. vellum, cont. tan roan and cont. half maroon roan gilt, 2 vols. with bookplate; a few small sketches, indexes, and loose cuttings etc.
William Nourse, author of A Short and Plain History of Cholera, 1857 was admitted a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1841 and of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society of London in 1847. He appears to have been employed by Sir Compton Domvile, M.P. (1775 - 1857) and Lady Domvile as family doctor and companion to their son William (1825 - 84, who in the earlier years suffers from fits), travelling with the family between their property in Ireland, Santry House, Dublin and Grosvenor Square, London. [vols. 1 - 4, approx 975pp.; vol 1 also includes a trip to Normandy with his father].
On his first visit to Ireland, landing at Kingstown from Liverpool in 1842 he notes "the poorer parts of the town [Dublin] are beyond everything, squalid and filthy…so full of beggars." The family live in some style and there are many social visits to other grand houses. In the summer of 1843 he refers to Daniel O'Connell who is holding his "monster meetings", and fear of a general rising. There are frequent visits to Dublin with trips to the theatre, opera, a ball at the Rotunda, the College of Surgeons etc., and excursions further afield such as to the Giant's Causeway, "so many wonders and beauties", Belfast, Wicklow, Galway, Athlone, Parsonstown, "saw Lord Rosse's telescope", July 1848; shooting, boating on the lake, cricket, and archery. Also "busy looking over the books in the library", January 1843, and May 1845 "tried magnetic machine, but no success". In October 1849 "had leeches on my shoulder…Mr. Wilde [father of Oscar] removed a little tumour."
When living with the Domviles in London there are numerous social visits, evenings at the theatre, opera, the Egyptian Hall, the College of Surgeons, medical lectures, observing operations at St. George's Hospital, "saw an operation of lithotricity, and one for Necrosis with aether, both done by Hawkins", Ascot races, flower shows, military review in Hyde Park, a trip to Birmingham where he visited Jennings Papier Mache manufactory and Elkington's Electro Plating; also the South coast, Scotland, Derbyshire, Wales etc. In March 1848 he and William Domvile go to the Police Office in Marlborough Street to be sworn in as Special Constables, "I could not get in for the crowd". [time of the Chartist disturbances]. In May 1849 he vaccinated the family and servants, and in July he received a letter from St. George's Hospital "stating my election as a Governor". In 1851 he is given a season ticket to the Great Exhibition by Sir Compton.
Vols 5 & 6 comprise separate journals of a Tour in Norway, 1850 (approx. 334pp. including Notes for Tourists) and Voyage to Egypt, 1852, (approx. 135pp) both with William Domvile.
The pair sail from Harwich on 27th June 1850 , arriving at Christiansand on lst July and experience difficulties with Customs. "The appearance of the town is most quaint, looking scarcely like reality, but like a scene in a play". They travel up the fjord to Christiania [now Oslo] and visit the castle, cathedral, hospital, botanic gardens etc., and continue their journey via Eidsvoldbakken and Lillehammer, Stavanger, Rosendal, Bergen, and Trondheim. There are many descriptions of fishing , with details of the flies used, observations on the plants, geology, and scenery. When in Rosendal they dine with the clergyman, "Our conversation was an odd amusing jumble of French, Latin, English and Norwegian." They return to Christiania overland and sail back to Hull on board The Courier, arriving on 3rd October.
The travellers leave Southampton on board the P & O steamship Bentinck on 20th November 1851 and arrive in Alexandria, via Gibraltar and Malta, on 5t
