Pakenham’s Doctors: A Missing Link

The history of doctors in Pakenham is not a cohesive one. A village with an extensive and rich history, there have been many doctors to call Pakenham home since its founding in 1823. While Doctor Mostyn was the first doctor to arrive in Almonte in 1858, between the years 1842 and 1852, Pakenham was home to three physicians. Dr. Evans, Dr. Samuel Blackwood, and Dr. McGillis are recorded as having worked in the area concurrently. Like the town of Almonte, from the beginning doctors who called Pakenham their home served more than just the small village, and were responsible for the health of the large, rural area surrounding them.

Despite hours spent researching the village of Pakenham, and poring through books, archival documents, photographs, and newspapers, the most detailed information to be found about the medical history in Pakenham is simply a list of doctors and their years spent in the village. We know that in 1865 there were five doctors recorded living and working in the village, including the aforementioned Dr. Blackwood, but also including Dr. John Sweetland, Dr. Edward Gibson, Dr. Robert Burns, and Dr. Ernest Kertland.

Dr. John Sweetland, c. 1870s

Following this we can track the arrival and departure of Doctors Baird, Jamieson, Gemmill, Buttle, and Dobb, just to name a few. Click on an image to learn more.

Dr. Ernest Welland Gemmill

Dr. Walter William Buttle, 1915

The Doctor’s House, Pakenham

Despite the challenges that we have faced in documenting this area of our community’s history, our search continues, even as the project has come to an end. Through this project, we have made many connections to local historians and storytellers, and we hope to continue to preserve the medical history of our communities. As time passes and memories fade, we will continue in our efforts to collect and preserve the detailed history of Pakenham’s doctors, a journey that we welcome you to join us on.

The Doctor’s House in the early 2020s