Thomas Fitzpatrick (1832 – 31 May 1900), born in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

County Cavan County Cavan ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Cavan and is based on the hi ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

, became a prominent London physician and member of the

Royal College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians of London, commonly referred to simply as the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of ph ...

. He was the son of James and Elizabeth (née Lawler) Fitzpatrick and born in the Headfort Arms Hotel, Virginia where his parents were the proprietors. From a privileged upbringing Thomas was educated at

St. Patrick's, Carlow College St Patrick's, Carlow College, is a liberal arts college located in Carlow, Ireland. The college is the second oldest third level institution in Ireland and was founded in 1782 by James Keefe, then Roman Catholic Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, a ...

, a school well noted for turning out many fine Catholic theologians. However his university education at

Trinity College, Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Univ ...

enabled him to distinguish himself in medicine where he qualified with a BA in 1853, MA in 1854, MB and MD by 1856. During this time Thomas Fitzpatrick also practiced as a doctor in the County Cavan village of Mullagh before entering service during 1856 with the

British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

as an assistant surgeon, an experience which was to leave a lasting impression on him, through his future attitudes towards primitive medicine, magic and religion. On his return to England, Thomas Fitzpatrick took up a position with

St. Bartholomew's Hospital St Bartholomew's Hospital, commonly known as Barts, is a teaching hospital located in the City of London. It was founded in 1123 by Rahere, and is currently run by Barts Health NHS Trust. History Early history Barts was founded in 1123 by Ra ...

in London and in 1868 he became a member of the

. He took up a private practice near

Hyde Park, London Hyde Park is a , historic Listed building#Heritage protection, Grade I-listed urban park in Westminster, Greater London. A Royal Parks of London, Royal Park, it is the largest of the parks and green spaces that form a chain from Kensington P ...

and was married to Agnes Letitia (née Robinson) in May 1865. Thomas Fitzpatrick died 31 May 1900 aged 68, after which his wife took to publish some of his writings, ''Tours and Excursions on the Continent'' and established the '' Fitzpatrick Lecture'', 'a study in the history of medicine' to his memory at the Royal College of Physicians. Agnes died in 1912, aged 90.

Biographies

* Broken Hand: The Life of Thomas Fitzpatrick, Mountain Man, Guide and Indian Agent by LeRoy R. Hafen: This is considered the definitive biography of Fitzpatrick, offering a detailed and well-researched account of his life from his early days as a trapper to his later roles as guide and Indian agent. *

Pathfinder Pathfinder, Path Finder or Pathfinders may refer to: Aerospace * ''Mars Pathfinder'', a NASA Mars Lander * NASA Pathfinder, a high-altitude, solar-powered uncrewed aircraft * Space Shuttle ''Pathfinder'', a Space Shuttle test simulator Arts and ...

: Thomas Fitzpatrick and the Opening of the American West by David Lavender: This biography follows Fitzpatrick through his various adventures and contributions to westward expansion, highlighting his skill as a guide and negotiator.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzpatrick, Thomas 1832 births 1900 deaths People from Virginia, County Cavan Alumni of Carlow College 19th-century Irish medical doctors Medical doctors from County Cavan