John Muriel (Ely,1799 - Ely,1884) Surgeon Of Ely
by Gareth Abbey

It was said that John was so contented in nature that he regularly fell asleep on his horse as it trotted through the fen country. On several occasions, he had to be rescued from the many bogs and ditches into which he had fallen. The Bury and Norwich Post records one of John’s many accidents.

The Bury and Norwich Post 05/04/1843:
“On Wednesday evening, as Mr John Muriel, surgeon of Ely, was returning home with his assistant, near Church Lane, his horse took fright, and ran away upset and smashed the gig. Mr M, was conveyed in a senseless state into the house of Mr Cole (surgeon), who paid him every attention in his power and had him conveyed home on a shutter. His wrist was broken and other injuries sustained of a serious nature. The assistant was providentially alighted upon his feet and was not hurt. We are glad to find that Mr. Muriel is going on favourably.”

John was not initially set for a career in the medical profession, but that of a Chemist. However, following the death of his brother, Robert, he began to train as a Surgeon, and assisted his father in his Ely practice.

In 1823, John married Elizabeth Boyce Evans; daughter of Hugh Robert Evans (1764-1852), a solicitor in Ely. Hugh had been one of two men, the other being a local farmer Henry Martin, who were attacked during the Littleport and Ely riots in 1816, while returning from a Turnpike Trust meeting in Downham. High unemployment and rising costs had resulted in unrest and much of the rioters’ anger was directed towards Henry Martin. In subsequent years, the Evans family became the Muriel family solicitors, with Elizabeth’s brother, Hugh, and nephew, William Johnson Evans, continuing the family’s legal practice in Ely.
Elizabeth and John had nine children:

Eliza Evans Muriel (Ely,1824 - Ely,1906)
Etheldreda Harriet Muriel (Ely,1825 - Ely,1825)
Robert Muriel (Ely,1826 - Ely,1873) Surgeon Of Ely
Madeleine Muriel (Ely,1827 - Greenwich,1896) married Robert Beynon Williams
Harriet Georgina Muriel (Ely,1828 - Burwell,1912) married Rev John William Cockshott
John Thomas Muriel (Ely,1830 - Hadleigh,1877) Surgeon Of Hadleigh
Matilda Muriel (Ely,1831 - Ely,1912) married Richard Bird Nason
Hugh Evans Muriel (Ely,1832 - Ely,1915) Canon Of Glonfert
Charles Evans Muriel (Ely,1834 - Norwich,1907) Surgeon Of Norwich

On his father’s death, in 1828, John moved his family from the small premises in Market Place, to the house in High St, where the family medical practice was located. He was assisted in the practice by his younger brother, Brooke, who would eventually move to London. As the population of England continued to boom, so did the demand for medical experts; consequently, John found himself in a swiftly expanding trade. In 1832, during an outbreak of cholera, his skills were significantly tested. Family life, however, was very happy until 1834, when John’s wife, Elizabeth, died of consumption, leaving the family very distressed. John’s eldest daughter, Eliza, recalls the desolate feelings that came over her that night. With eight children to bring up and a medical practice to run, John’s elder sister, Mary, moved into the property on High Street to help run the household. However, in 1835, further disaster nearly struck the family:

Bury & Norwich Post, 26th August 1835:
“About one o’clock on Sunday morning the inhabitants of Ely were awakened by an alarm of fire, which ascertained to be from the premises of Mr John Muriel surgeon and after a short period its progress was happily prevented. Had the fire remained undiscovered a quarter of an hour longer, the consequence would have been dreadful, in so much as one hundred pounds of gunpowder was deposited in a granary immediately adjoining the premises on fire. As usual all classes exerted themselves in a praiseworthy manner.”

In 1836, John married for a second time to Mary Langham, the best friend of his first wife. Mary was the niece of, and brought up by, Thomas Harvey JP of Northwold Manor and his wife Hannah Harvey (nee Kenton). Mary was the natural daughter of William Langham and Hannah’s sister Judith Kenton. It is said that the Baronet Langham, of the time, had two sons to a second marriage; one of whom was William Langham, who spent his substance and had to turn into the world, and get along as best he could, becoming a gardener. He married Judith Kenton, but the marriage did not meet with approval and it was agreed it would be in the best interests of the children to be adopted by their aunt, Hannah. Mary’s brother, John, would later assume the surname Carter, possibly because of its historical importance in Northwold. He went on to marry the wealthy heiress, Mary Anne Daniel- Tyssen of Foulden Hall, Norfolk. Mary’s sister, Catherine Langham, embraced the social scene, attending dinners with the likes of Admiral Manby and Lady Hamilton. Mary Langham and John Muriel had five children:

Catherine Muriel (Ely,1836 - Ely,1914)
Mary Muriel (Ely,1837 - Ely,1928)
Harvey Muriel (Ely,1837 - Erpingham,1924) Reverend Of Edingthorpe
William Carter Muriel (Ely,1839 - Fulham,1916) Vicar of Fulham
George John Muriel (Ely,1841 - Whitehaven,1923) Surgeon Of Whitehaven

Eliza Evans Muriel writes of happy times the family enjoyed with John and his wife, Mary: “Our dear mother made the home very bright and happy for us all, and it is very nice to look back upon our pleasant evenings in the dear old dining room when we were all working while an amusing book was read aloud to us, and on our marching up and down the old yard with small bags of shot on our heads to keep us erect and steady in our walk”. John also had many other interests. He was involved in Ely Horticultural Society and even took time to have a series of bronze busts of himself cast by the Italian sculptor, Pellegrino Mazzotti, who had a studio in Bull Lane in Ely, in the 1840s. In 1850, John decided to purchase the Mansion House on Palace Green for his family at a cost of £1050 for the buildings and £16.13 for the fixture and fittings, from a Haylock Watson, who was a Draper. The house became known as “Chantry House” because it stood on the site of the old Chantry.

In the 1850s, John sold many of the lands and properties in his possession such as parts of Middle Fen, Way Field, a property in Cow Lane, known as the Red, White and Blue beer house. There were considerable costs in putting his children through professions and John openly gave his time and money to charitable causes. In 1858, he assisted with the building of a Boys and Girls school on Walpole Lane, Richard Freeman of Ely was to build and SS Teulon a well known architect from Charing Cross, was appointed to design the school. By 1860, John had decided to lease out the High Street property, with its dwelling house, stables and brewhouse.

Mary Langham, died in 1861 and John would marry for a third time to, Susan Griffith, the daughter of the late and much respected Reverend Hugh Deer Griffiths of Newcastle in Northumberland. They were married in 1863 at Saltford, Near Bath. This was an unhappy marriage as John’s daughter Eliza recorded “though a fine ladylike woman, she was quite unfitted for our family and was moreover of such a violent temper that it completely destroyed the comfort and happiness of our home. This violent temper was unfortunately aggravated by a wicked and most unfounded slander, which, of course, was dreadful for her and caused my dear father and us all great unhappiness. This was a terrible time of trial to us all.”
John continued in his charitable and medical work throughout the 1860s, donating the Good Samaritan window to Ely Cathedral, in 1864, and assisting at the union workhouse.

Cambridge Chronicle and Journal 14th July 1866:
“On Tuesday, the 10th inst, Mr J Muriel, of the Palace Green, gave a treat to the children and adult male and female inmates of the union workhouse. In the afternoon the children were assembled upon the lawn, in front of the residence of J Muriel Esq, and sat down to an excellent tea provided for them by their kind lady hostess, who took evident delight in observing the manifest pleasure with which the children regaled themselves while partaking of the courteous repast. After tea an adjournment was made to a field belonging to Mr Muriel, near the union, where the children indulged in sport without restraint until dusk. Neither were the aged forgotten, the bounty was extended them in a way they seemed to thoroughly appreciate, and in this way by distribution of buns and ale amongst them, in the same field in the which the young ones were enjoying themselves and old and young were thus made happy together”

John’s third wife, Susan, died in 1873 as would John’s eldest son, Robert. John had built the property at the rear of “Chantry House” now known as “Cathedral House, for his son Robert and this was sold on Robert’s death.

John had hoped Robert would carry on the family Surgeon and Apothecary practice, long after John’s death. In 1877, further tragedy would strike when another of John’s son, John Thomas Muriel, Surgeon of Hadleigh died. With John’s other sons now building lives for themselves away from Ely John continued in his practice until his passing in 1884. Only three of John’s children; Eliza, Catherine and Mary remained in Ely, following John’s death. The Chantry was sold at local auction, as the daughters did not feel they had the means or the will to stay in the property, they moved into the family house on Market Place.

Harvey Langham Muriel recollects his grandfather :
“I believe grandfather never owned a wheeled vehicle, but to cover his extensive practice always had 15 horses in the stables at The Chantry House and 15 'resting' in the fen. They were changed over every few months. I can just remember going to see old Whitehead who had been in charge of the stables for very many years, and when I saw him he was a pensioner of the family. In grandfather's prime I believe his practice extended to March in one direction and nearly to Cambridge in the other and anyone who knows the fens even today will not wonder at his preference for horseback. In winter and wet weather many of the roads and Lanes would be impassable otherwise. I remember the Chantry House very well. Surrounded by a high wall it stood on one side of the triangular green with the Bishop's Palace on the opposite side and the Cathedral at the base. At the apex of the green was a cannon from Sebastopol which father helped to drag into position. He was a volunteer for some years and I believe became a sergeant. Looking through the iron gates the main door faced you and opened into a large hall with the Sedan Chair on the right and the kitchens. The Sedan Chair was in occasional use until 1891/2 when it went to Carlisle and is I believe still in the museum there. And on the left were the dining room and a smaller hall leading to the drawing-room and gardens and in this hall was kept the sword always used to carve the huge Christmas joint of beef for the family (13 sons and daughters) and the domestic staff. Each child had its own stool which it carried into the dining room for meals.No lolling back in chairs! I can well remember my grandfather sitting in the dining room in a carving chair before a peat fire with a silver-topped black ebony stick beside him, and a red bandana handkerchief spread on his knee- breeches - black with black stockings and silver-buckled shoes. (Find I am wrong here. The stick was gold-topped, and is now in the care of the Regius Professor of Physic, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge. Mary has copies of the correspondence in her archives! Mea culpa. ) He was an inveterate snufftaker. My father once told me he was a 'two-bottle' man and that they used to have the port in by the hog's-head and bottle it themselves. Father has said when helping to do this he often drank a pint before breakfast! I have always understood that grandfather was a surgeon of somewhat more than local fame and I believe his ebony stick is now in the care of the Royal College of Surgeons. I have a book "Chapters on Everyday Things" which he gave me, inscribed by him 'Harvey Langham Muriel, with his grandfather's best love, Ely, June 24th, 1883, J. M. 's Eighty-third Birthday. Doubtless we were spending the day there and maybe that was the last time I saw him.”

The Bury And Norwich Post And Suffolk Herald, 1884:
“There has passed away from the scene of active life in this city, one whose name was a synonym for gentlemanly kindness, professional probity and Christian simplicity. John Muriel- esq. JP, FRCS, DL of Chantry House, Palace Green whose useful life and venerable age eked out to his 85th year, was the last male representative in this city of a good old family, who have always borne the impress of benevolence and gentility since 1650, when it first came to Ely. The family Muriel itself, however, by direct male succession touches to the 13 century, one Adam de Myriel having been Archdeacon of Norfolk in 1270.
The late Dr Muriel was thrice married and leaves a worthy progeny of children and grandchildren to carry on his name and his honour to succeeding generations. He married first, Elizabeth, daughter of Mr Hugh R Evans of Ely; secondly Miss Mary Langham, niece of Mr Thomas Harvey, JP, DL of Northwold Manor House in the County of Norfolk; and thirdly Susan, daughter of the Reverend Griffith, Canon of Durham Cathedral. The venerable form, fine figure, the kindly smile and practical sympathy which attached to the late Dr Muriel, as an English gentleman, as well as a professional man, will never fade in the memory of those who knew him. It is notorious that the majority of the 'Fen People' for two generations were brought into the world under his professional care; and the kind old man would often point to this or that person, well advanced in life, and claim them as his professional offspring. A peculiar feature of his character was respect for others, and his sense of gallantry was charming. On one occasion an elderly poor woman made way for Dr Muriel by stepping from the pavement to the street. "No! no!" he abruptly exclaimed, and instantly insisted on their changing positions. For many years Dr Muriel was a trustee of Needham's charity and took a lively interest in the school. Almost to the last the deceased attended service at the Cathedral, and with characteristic glance around to catch the familiar faces, he would take his
accustomed seat. But recently decaying age rapidly set in and the familiar form was practically lost to the city several weeks before it was interred on May 30th, with such universal respect and affection. All the places of business were partially closed and an affectionate allusion was made to the deceased by the Dean in his sermon on Whit-Sunday.”