Thomas Carroll (1794 - 1871)

Born 15 Apr 1794 in Creenagh, County Antrim, Ireland

Ancestors

Husband of Anne Lynch (Williams) Carroll — married 31 Oct 1821 in White Water, Wayne County, Indiana, United States

Descendants

Died 13 Mar 1871 at age 76 in Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio, United States

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Thomas Carroll was born in Ireland.

Thomas was a Friend (Quaker)

Thomas Carroll migrated from Ireland to USA.

Biography

Thomas was born on 15th April 1794 at Creenagh, in the civil parish of Magheramesk in County Antrim, Ireland. He was the son of Edward Carroll and Elizabeth Murray.

His parents had 9 children born in Ireland, but one died young. The family lived in the 2 storey stone house built by his grandfather on Halfpenny Gate Rd, between Lisburn and Moira. Thomas migrated to the United States in 1801 with his parents and siblings. They arrived in Pennsylvania and settled in Ohio where another child was born the following year.

Parents' Marriage

Trummery was a Quaker colony, and Edward Carroll and Elizabeth Murray were married according to the rites of the Society of Friends. Mr. Taylor has a copy of the marriage certificate of Joseph Murray and Margery Hogg, which, according to custom, was signed by relatives and neighbours, several Hoggs, Bells, Fletchers, English, John Hancock, jun., and Richard Steer.

Migration

Edward Carroll, like so many North of Ireland men of the period, in consequence of the unrest at home emigrated to the United States with his family, one of whom, 'Thomas took up the profession of Physician in his adopted country.' This Dr. Carroll was the grandfather of Mr. Taylor, who in his person has exemplified the grit of the Ulsterman, of which the records of the great Western Republic bear ample evidence.^[1]

Occupation

Thomas was raised from the age of about 9, in Columbiana, Ohio helping his father and brother on the farm. During the long winter months he studied to be a physician. He joined the graduating class of Translyvania University in Lexicon, Kentucky, when he was turning 21 and subsequently attended lectures in New York and Philadelphia.

He started his first practice as a country physician in Richmond, Indiana in 1820. Soon after, he married Anne Lynch Williams, also a Friend. After falling ill he moved back to Columbiana but then settled in St.Clairsville, Belmont County, Ohio until 1841 when he moved to practice in Cincinnati [See obituary and memories of his grandson.]^[2]

Appearance

He was cheerful, kindly hospitable man, full of benevolence and courage, and possessed of more than ordinary intellectual force. He was about six feet high, of a spare frame, ordinarily weighing about 160 pounds. His hair was black- his eyes a mixture of gray and hazel ( a dark gray)- his nose roman- his forehead large. He was a little stooped about the neck and shoulders.^[3]

Death

Death of Doctor Thomas Carroll.

Preliminary Action of the Academy of Medicine Last Night

The death of Dr Thomas Carroll of this city, is an event which was not altogether unexpected by his professional friends, but its announcement will be a signal for a sense of profound regret with thousands who knew him as a physician, laboring for the good of his fellow beings throughout a long and honorable career. He expired at half-past 12 o'clock yesterday, at the residence of his daughter, Mrs D.H.Taylor, at Oakley, after an acute illness of about two weeks. Dr Carroll's death sickness dates from last summer, but he enjoyed a lapse of comparative health during which he resumed the labors of his profession when discretion would have prompted rest and a careful reservation of strength. Such indeed was his industry and impulse to study that he critically investigated the nature of the disease to which his wonderfully elastic constitution was a prey, almost into the last hours of his life.

Dr Carroll was born on the 15th of April 1794, in County Antrim, Ireland, and was therefore seventy-seven years of age at his death. He was of Quaker stock and maintained his membership in the Society of Friends. His father emigrated to this country in 1801 and brought a large family, with which he settled in Columbiana County, in this state. He was the youngest son, and while undergoing the drudgery on the farm, manifested a love for learning and an ambition to acquire it that nothing could conquer. Such education as he could acquire by the light of the pine log at night, and in the backwoods school in the dull months of the year, he gathered with avidity, and before his twentieth birthday he had read medicine with sufficient profit and proficiency to secure the .

He settled in Richmond, Indiana, in 1820 and practised medicine for a year, when he married his wife who survives him, a sister of Micajah Williams, well known in the earlier history of this community. Dr Carroll continued to practice medicine and surgery in Richmond for a few years, but was obliged, through poor health, to change his place of residence. He tried New Lisbon, in this State, but soon removed to St.Clairsville from 1824 till 1841, and during that space of time acquired a wide-spread reputation, which so burdened his labors that he was forced to abandon the field for one less extended geographically. He came to this city [Cincinnati] in 1841 where he has resided ever since and laboured with unremitting zeal and devotion.

As a physician Dr.Carroll adhered to the old school, and was bold and original in his style of practice. He wrote largely in his profession, but published mostly in the medical journals. He was a man of strong character, combining withal qualities of heart almost feminine in gentleness and tenderness.

His intellectual face and noble head will be missed on the streets where he was familiar, as, seated in his visiting carriage, he rolled past obedient to the call of duty, and the hundreds of families to whom his faithful ministrations brought comfort and relief will mourn his loss and honour his memory.

Dr. Carroll's death was announced in the Academy of Medicine last night by Dr.Stevenson, who attended him in his illness, and after a brief allusion to him as a member suggested suitable action.

Dr.Dawson moved that a committee of five be appointed for that purpose, with Drs.Stevenson and Hadlock included.^[4]

MEMORIES OF DOCTOR THOMAS CARROLL (1794-1871) by his grandson, Eugene Carroll, January 3rd 1936

I have a very vivid recollection of Grandfather Carroll although I was only ten yeas old when he died. I attribute this to the fact that I spent the last two summer vacations with Grandfather, driving his horse and buggy in his daily calls. As I recall him, in his disposition and character he was very similar to Doctor H Longstreet Taylor, my first cousin. He was gentle and considerate, generous and intelligent; in his profession, thoroughly skilful and devoted, with very high ideals of ethics. They used to say that Grandfather would not walk on the same side of the street as a homeopathic physician if he could possibly avoid it. He was a devoted family man and my Mother often said that he was particularly kind to her when she went to his house as a bride. She loved him dearly as did all of his connection.

As it often happened in those days, he would bring the sick or neglected child to his home and I believe my grandparents raised several children in that way. The only one I ever knew was Lizzie Grant, who was a frequent visitor at our house in the early days and who was raised from a small child and lived with my grandparents until she was married.

A family tradition is that Grandfather was particularly successful during two cholera epidemics, one I think in 1845 and one later in Cincinnati. I recall when I went to Japan in 1881, I had a copy of Grandfather's prescriptions and a full supply of them and have always believed they saved my life when a cholera epidemic was raging in Yokohama. I was taken one night ashore with violent painless diarrhoea and after much effort got back to the ship and began taking Grandfather's cholera medicine. I was perfectly sure that I had cholera but whether it was the medicine or only my personal fear, the next day I was much better and finally came out all right. He was a great believer in calomel and hs so-called cholera medicine was composed principally of calomel and morphine.

Grandfather and Grandmother Carroll were members of the Hicksite Society of Friends and lived a quiet life on Ninth Street just East of Mound in Cincinnati. Grandmother wore the Quaker Grey costume and poke bonnet and used the plain language. While Grandfather dressed quietly, he did not wear the broad brimmed Quaker hat so common in those days and only used the plain language in the family circles, at other times he spoke in the ordinary language as did my father for many years. It was interesting to see them use "Thee" and "Thou" when talking to their families and not use it in their business life.

Like most of the Carrolls, Grandfather was a poor financier and I have heard my father say if he could collect the unpaid accounts on his books, Grandmother would have been left more than comfortable. Like all physicians in those days, the only time they made any collections was when they needed the money for living expenses. I understood that in early life he had endorsed for his brother, Edward, and for that reason was in financial straights always. Of course, I was too young to know much about his affairs but I am convinced that he was the leading physician in Cincinnati in his day and had a very large practice. I was told during the cholera epidemic he hardly took time to sleep and kept fit by taking blue mass pill every morning. On one occasion during an epidemic, when the civil authorities called him down for not making prompt reports, he replied that he was 'Too busy saving lives to bother with statistics.' In his day, I believe he was progressive and kept up with the times in his profession. When he died, he held his pulse up to the last.

NOTE: Paragraph of the letter omitted due to erroneous genealogical information.

Father said the death of his eldest son, Doctor Foster Carroll, was the greatest sorrow of Grandfather's life and he always believed the diagnosis of the attending physicians was wrong. Foster's wife and daughter lived in Grandfather's home until the death of Grandmother who only lived a short time after Grandfather's death. After that, Aunt Laura took care of them.

It may be noted that Thomas was deeply sorrowed by his son's death. In the family bible he wrote thus: "Foster Carroll MD died the 13th, 7 Mo 1851. Aged 27 years 11 months and five days. Oh my son, why dist thee die?". Robert W Carroll (Foster's brother) wrote underneath, "It appears from the funeral notice published in the Cincinnati Daily Gazette of July 16, 1851, that Dr Foster Carroll died of Typhus Fever, July 14th 1851 (14th 7th Mo) and was buried at 5 o'clock pm Wednesday July 16th, from the residence of his father Dr Thomas Carroll North Corner ??? and Plain Street, Cincinnati. As he was born August 18th 1823, he was 27 years, 10 months and 26 days old at the time of his death. It is without doubt that our Father made a mistake in his entry above. Robert.W.Carroll"

Sources

1. ↑ http://www.dippam.ac.uk/ied/records/41246.pdf
2. ↑ http://carrollgen.org.uk/usbiogs.htm
3. ↑ http://carrollgen.org.uk/ohio.htm#1893
4. ↑ http://carrollgen.org.uk/usbiogs.htm

• Family tree and notes authored by Colin R O'Carroll, Johannesburg, 1997
• http://carrollgen.org.uk/usbiogs.htm