Born: 26 April 1864, Blackrock by Cork, Ireland
Died: 15 March 1917
Cremated: Scholemoor, Bradford:
Address: Myrtle House, Harrogate Road, Undercliffe
Parents: Francis & Sarah Bradshaw, nee Louane
Spouse: Alice, nee Thornton
Siblings: George
Occupation: Doctor
Organisations/clubs: St John’s Ambulance; Women’s Sick Nursing Division
Military
Rank: Lieutenant
Medals/awards:
Rolls of Honour: Eccleshill, Park and St Luke’s
Children: Rosalind May, Sylvia Margaret, Francis George
Regiment: RAMC
Francis George Heard
Francis George Heard was born on the 26th of April 1864 at Blackrock by Cork, Ireland,
the son of Francis Heard and Sarah Bradshaw Loane. he couple had two children
Francis George and George Loane born 1866.
Francis studied medicine in Edinburgh during the 1880s and on the 5th of August 1889
he received his licence to practice from the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh and
the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh.
In 1891 he was lodging at 81 Regent Street, Stonehouse, Stroud and working in a
General Practice as a surgical medical doctor.
By 1901 Francis had moved to Bradford where he would remain. He was 36 years of
age and living at Denton Well House, Eccleshill with a housekeeper.
In 1903 he married Alice Thornton who had been born in Bradford in 1879 and Francis
and Alice would live at Myrtle House, Undercliffe during their married life.
By the time of the 1911 census they had two children, Rosalind May and Sylvia
Margaret. A son, Francis George, was born in the autumn of 1916, shortly before the
death of Francis senior.
In his Will he left his effects of £4264.13.11d to George William Thornton, Manufacturer,
the brother of his wife Alice.
.
This page prepared with the help of research by
Jean Britteon, to whom many thanks
On 26 November 1916, the Shipley
Times & Express published teh
story of Francis’s commission into
the RAMC, which tells us more of
his family background, his status in
Eccleshill and how the newspaper
felt people should act towards their
doctors!
Dr F G Heard, who has been in
practice in Eccleshill for 15 years,
has volunteered for service with the
Royal Army Medical Corps and has
been granted a commission
He has orders to join the Corps on
January 1st, 1916.
He is the eldest son of Lieut-
Colonel Francis Heard, 3rd Battlion
Royal Munster Fusiliers. His
mother’s father was Surgeon Major
George Loan, who served with
Wellington in the 8th Veteran
Battalion through the whole of the
Peninsular War.
Dr Heard has always taken a deep
interest in ambulance and has been
hon surgeon in the Eccleshill
Division for 15 years.
Five years ago Dr Heard founded
the Eccleshill Women’s Sick
Nursing Division. Last year over 70
ladies attended his class. All those
joined the Volunteer Aid
Detachment and 12 of them have
ow volunteered for active service.
He is medical officer and public
vaccinator for the Eccleshill district
but the North Bierley Guardians
have kindly granted him leave of
absence during the war.
Provision made
This work has been handed over to
Dr J W Hainsworth of Greengates
who for some years has been his
deputy. Dr Heard’s panel is to be
divided between several local
doctors and provision is also being
made for the care of his private
patients.
During the absence of medical men
who volunteer to serve their
country in this way, people should
endeavour to lighten as much as
possible the labours of those
doctors who undertake the
additional duties.
Surely it is not too much to ask that
people should be prepared to suffer
a little inconvenience during the
continuance of the war
Great regret is felt in the Eccleshill district at the
death of Dr Francis G Heard, which occurred
last Thursday at his residence, Myrtle House,
Harrogate Road.
While discharging his duties with the army at
Ripon – a post which he volunteered to take
over twelve months ago – he was taken ill and
was removed to his home at Eccleshill.
Dr Heard came to Eccleshill some eighteen
years ago and entered into partnership with Dr
Richard Aston, the founder of the Ambulance
movement in this district.
Two years later, Dr Heard was appointed hon
secretary to the division and was the means of
affiliating it with the St John’s Ambulance
movement.
Valuable medals
For a period of fifteen years he carried on the
work with marked success and to increase the
interest in and efficiency of the division, he
offered valuable medals for competition
amongst the members.
He also delivered advanced lectures to the full
qualified ambulance men and encouraged them
to enter competitive examinations.
These labours are bearing precious fruit today.
Forty members of the division are now on active
service with His Majesty’s forces and the sixteen
who still remain at home have rendered yeoman
service to the 6,000 wounded soldiers who have
been sent to Bradford hospitals.
Several of the men have been promoted to the
rank of sergeant for excellence of service.
Six years ago Dr Heard founded the Eccleshill
Women’s Sick Nursing Division which has
proved to be even more popular than the
Ambulance Division.
In the last year as instructor, Dr Heard had a
class of seventy ladies, all of whom joined the
Volunteer Aid Detachment and many of these
volunteered for active service.
Dr Heard came of an Irish fighting family for he
was the eldest son of Lieut-Colonel Francis
Heard, who served with the 3rd Battalion Royal
Munster Fusiliers.
His maternal grandfather was Surgeon-Major
George Loane, who served under Wellington
through the whole of the Peninsular War.
In his youth Dr Heard was a fine athlete and
won several prizes for running, swimming and
rowing
He held the public offices of vaccinator and
medical officer of health for the Eccleshill
district and his kind and courteous treatment of
the veterans of labour made him deservedly
popular with them.
Without payment
The poor of the district have reason to regret his
demise for their needs received prompt and
efficient attention and their bills were often
settled without payment.
The funeral took place on Saturday. The local
ambulance men who officiated as bearers were
First Officer Harry C Crapp, Cpl Moyley and
Privates Charles Parratt, Fred Moorhouse, Fred
Bland, Charles Moyley, Willie Rhodes and
Albert Smith.
The Rev R B McKee conducted the last rites and
the body was cremated at Scholemoor.
He leaves a widow and three children, the
youngest being a little boy three months old.
Shipley Times & Express 23 March 1917
The passing of a popular physician
