Biography of Herbert Henry FOLKER
[Ref. P.14]
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Profile | |
Index for FOLKER |
Biography of Herbert Henry FOLKER
[Ref. P.14]
| Ancestors | |
Profile | |
Index for FOLKER |
Herbert Henry Folker was the fourth of the six children of William Henry and Ellen Jane Folker.
He was born on 16 July 1864 at Market Street in Hanley,
Staffordshire. By 1871 the family had moved to Bedford House in Havelock Place in Hanley and
this was to remain the family home for many years.
Herbert completed his general education at Newcastle High School in Staffordshire. Then, having chosen to follow his father into the medical profession, he studied at the Royal Medical Benevolent College on Epsom Downs in Surrey. He is shown there on the census of 1881 under the headmastership of William de Lancy West. There were 196 scholars listed as attending the college at that time. Herbert then completed his medical studies at Charing Cross hospital. He registered as a member of the Royal College of Surgeons and Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians on 2 August 1889 and was duly listed in the Medical Register. Subsequently he returned home to take up practice, presumably with his father at Hanley.
The Volunteer Medical Staff Corps was formed during the time that Herbert was studying in London, and he became one of the original members, spending five years service under Surgeon Commandant Cantlie.
On 26 July 1890, Herbert joined B company of the 1st Volunteer Batallion of the North Staffordshire Regiment in the rank of Second Luitenant. He was promoted to Luitenant on 23 May 1891 and to Captain on 4 June 1892. That same year he was appointed Honorary Assistant Opthalmic Surgeon to the North Staffordshire Infirmary where his father had already established himself with distinction.
In the census of 1891, Herbert was listed as living at 1 Clarke Street in Hanley which was actually his family home, Bedford House, which fronted onto Clarke Street as well as Havelock Place. He married Eliza Georgena Ashworth at Shelton parish church on 5 July 1893. Their respective fathers signed the certificate as witnesses to the ceremony. The following year, Herbert was appointed Honorary Opthalmic Surgeon to the North Staffordshire Infirmary.
Herbert resigned his commission in the Staffordshire Regiment on 24 December 1902. On 17 December 1903, he was appointed Certifying Surgeon under the Factory Act, thus succeedig his father for the Hanley district of Satffordshire. He went on to devote himself more singularly to opthalmic surgery and gained a high reputation in this discipline. It was at a local meeting that Herbert brought forward the matter of children suffering from opthalmia neonatorum becoming blind owing to the lack of early attention. His proposal for the compulsory notification of the disease was eventually adopted across the country.
A passenger list for the ship Cap Arcona shows Herbert and Eliza sailing from Southampton on 30 October 1908 to Buenos Aries. On 31 May 1913, Herbert sailed by himself from Southampton onboard Kildonan Castle, this time bound for Cape Town.
Herbert resigned his post as Certifying Surgeon for Hanley on 6 September 1919. At the outbreak of war in 1914, he became Honorary Consulting Opthalmic Surgeon at the Infirmary and held this position until his death. Besides his surgical work, Herbert took an active interest in entertainment within the hospital. He was known to be active with staff entertainments, especially at Christmas, and organised amateur theatrical productions.
His contribution to the war effort included being Staffordshire County Director of the British Red Cross. He served in the RAMC as a captain between April 1915 and October 1917. He served with Northern Command Headquarters in York. He was Deputy Commissioner of Medical Services at the Ministry of Pensions from November 1917 until beyond 1920. In recognition of these services, Herbert was awarded the Order of the British Empire in the New Year's Honours List of 1920.
In about 1920, Henry and his wife Georgena moved to London and lived at 11 Hayes Crescent in Golder's Green. Often doctors were amongst the first people to own a motor car and Herbert was no exception. He had a White's electric car which was possibly like the demi-limousine in the picture. He was very popular with his relatives in London whom he used to take out for a drive.
Herbert passed away at home on 20 October 1925, attended by his son-in-law Frederick Bustard. He had suffered heart failure but had already endured a duodenal ulcer for many years. He was cremated at Hendon Park Cemetery at Mill Hill in London on 23 October. A detailed obituary was published in the Staffordshire Sentinal on 22 October. He left assets to the value of £7,343 in his Will .
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