As members of the Royal Navy Medical Service, we are aiming to crowdfund to buy Sir William Beatty's medical chest to retain a part of the RNMS history.
Our aim is to donate it to the Haslar Heritage Group (http://www.haslarheritagegroup.co.uk) who have been granted the use of the Old Medical Supplies Agency building at the site of Haslar Hospital to develop into a visitor's centre with a museum for the Royal Navy Medical and Dental Services. (If the Haslar Heritage Group are unable to accommodate the medical chest then we would donate it to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard to go with HMS Victory.)
Sir William Beatty FRS (1773 – 1842) joined the Royal Navy as surgeon’s mate in 1793. In December 1804, he was appointed naval surgeon to Victory famously attending to Admiral Lord Nelson after he received his mortal wound at the Battle of Trafalgar.
His medicine chest is for sale by Wick Antiques who have kindly reserved it for a month to give us the opportunity to raise the money to buy it.
https://wickantiques.co.uk/product/surgeon-beattys-medicine-chest-1803/
The Royal Navy Medical Services have contributed tirelessly to this year's medical response to the pandemic. This would be an excellent way to commemorate those who paved the way in Naval medicine.
Thank you for your support,
Kate, Iain and Jo