REES
,
Sir
JOHN MILSOM
(
1866
-
1952
),
surgeon and laryngologist
;
s. of
John
Rees
of
Neath, Glam.
, b.
20 Apr. 1866
. After studying at
St. Bartholomew's Hospital
,
London
, he qualified in
1889
, and three years later took the
F.R.C.S. (Edin.)
. Having taken up
laryngology
as his special subject he was appointed
surgeon
to the
Ear, Nose and Throat Department
of the
Prince of Wales General Hospital
,
Tottenham
, and he conducted his
private consulting practice
at
Upper Wimpole Street
. He became
laryngologist
to the
Royal Opera House
,
Covent Garden
, and to the
Guildhall School of Music
; in that capacity he was
medical adviser
to the most famous
singers
of the day —
Madame
Patti
,
Dame
Nellie
Melba
,
Kirsten
Flagstad
,
Jan
de Reszke
and many others — and he was on terms of close friendship with them. Even more noteworthy was his long and distinguished service to the
Royal Family
; he was
laryngologist
to
King
George
V
throughout the twenty-six years of his reign, and to
Queen
Mary
,
Queen
Alexandra
and
Queen
Maude
of
Norway
. He was
knighted
in
1916
, appointed
K.C.V.O.
in
1923
, and promoted to
G.C.V.O.
in
1934
. The
University of Wales
conferred upon him an honorary
D.Sc.
in
1931
.
Milsom
Rees
was officially associated with many of the leading
London
teaching hospitals as
vice-president
or
governor
, and he was also a
member of the Court
of the
University of Wales
. In addition he took an active part on the governing body of the
British Postgraduate School
,
Epsom College
, the
Nuffield Provincial Hospital Trust
and similar bodies. Apart from his remarkable success in professional spheres, he also achieved great distinction in many other fields. As a student he was an excellent
cricketer
,
boxer
and
rugby player
; later on he became a first-class
golfer of international standing
, and still later he took up
big-game hunting
with equal success. The account of his visits to
Africa
reveal in a striking manner his multifarious interests. His expert surgical craftmanship would be in demand for the local celebrities and native chieftains; his wise counsel would be sought on the question of providing new hospitals, and at times he gave generous financial assistance for their construction. Furthermore, he
acquired extensive business interests
there, in the form of
coffee estates
in
Tanganyika
and
salt mines
in
Nyaza
, and these proved very successful ventures.
Eventually he retired to
Broadstairs
where he maintained a
practical and generous interest in education
, and d. there
25 April 1952
. He m.
Eleanor
, dau. of
William P.
Jones
of
Finchley
,
chairman
of
Jones Brothers
,
Holloway
and of
John Barnes, Ltd.
, in
1894
, and they had a son and a daughter.
Sources:
-
British Medical Journal
,
3 and 24 May 1952
;
-
The Lancet
,
3 and 10 May 1952
;
-
The Times
,
25 Apr. 1952
.
Author:
Emyr Wyn Jones, M.D., F.R.C.P., (1907-99), Pwllheli / Liverpool
