Dr James Munro: The Doctor Who Lived at Barnard Castle Post Office

From Scotland to Barnard Castle

James Munro was born on 2 March 1836 at Knockglass, in the parish of Watten, Caithness, in the far north of Scotland. As a young man, he travelled south to study medicine at the University of Edinburgh, where he graduated on 1 August 1859 at the age of 23. His graduation was recorded in the Edinburgh Medical Journal, along with the subject of his medical dissertation, On the Urine.

That original dissertation has survived and can still be viewed online through the University of Edinburgh. It contains 68 numbered pages written by Munro himself, covering how the kidneys work, the chemical composition of urine and the ways doctors could use it to help diagnose illnesses such as diabetes. For a Victorian medical student, these were important subjects, particularly when so many of the tests and equipment available to doctors today had yet to be developed.

Later that same year, Munro arrived in Barnard Castle. His introduction to the town came through William John Sawrey Morritt of Rokeby Park, and he soon began establishing his medical practice. It was a considerable move from his childhood home in Caithness, but he would spend the rest of his professional life here.

His name was already appearing in the local newspapers in 1859. When Barnard Castle's new cemetery was consecrated by the Bishop of Durham, Munro was among those attending a luncheon at the King's Head Inn afterwards. The gathering included local clergy and several prominent residents, and it gives us an early record of the young doctor becoming involved in town life.

A Doctor in Victorian Teesdale

Being a doctor in nineteenth century Teesdale meant travelling to patients wherever help was needed. There were serious illnesses to treat, accidents at workplaces and families living in remote parts of the dale who might have had considerable distances to travel for medical care.

An early example of Munro's work comes from 1861, during construction of the railway near Langleydale. A worker named Horner was riding on a small wagon carrying stone from Crag Hill quarry towards the viaduct being built across Langley Beck. The incline was extremely steep, and the wagons were reported to travel at speeds of 30 to 40 miles per hour. Horner fell from the wagon and suffered serious injuries. His fellow workers carried him home before sending for medical assistance.

Dr Robinson arrived first and, finding that more help was needed, called for Dr Cust and Dr Munro. All three attended the injured man, but despite their efforts, Horner died at around nine o'clock that evening. Another worker was injured at the same construction site later that day when he fell from scaffolding and was struck by a large stone. The newspaper reported both accidents, giving us a glimpse of the dangers faced by the men building the railway.

Munro's medical work extended well beyond accidents. In May 1874, William Watson senior was staying at Ventnor on the Isle of Wight when he wrote to his son in Barnard Castle about his health. Munro had advised that Watson could return home by the end of the month, although Watson himself was reluctant because he thought the weather in the north would still be too cold.

Twenty Five Years of Medical Practice

By 1884, Munro had become President of the North of England Branch of the British Medical Association. The branch held its annual meeting in Barnard Castle on 18 July, and Munro used the occasion to reflect on the changes he had witnessed during 25 years of medical practice.

His address was subsequently published in the Edinburgh Medical Journal, so we can still read his own account of treating patients in Barnard Castle and Teesdale. He discussed the decline of treatments such as bloodletting, the growing use of antiseptics and improvements in medical equipment, including microscopes, clinical thermometers and instruments used to examine the eyes. He also spoke about the use of alcohol and other medicines, describing how medical opinions had changed since his student days.

Among the illnesses he remembered was a serious outbreak of diphtheria in the district around twenty years earlier. He also discussed cases of bronchitis, pneumonia and kidney disease, including the difficulties of treating people in isolated farmhouses. One of his patients was a woman who had been confined to bed for more than 35 years, eighteen of which had been under his care.

Munro continued sharing his medical experiences with other doctors. In March 1887, he published an account of a seventy year old clergyman who had suffered a serious intestinal obstruction in April 1882. The illness continued for 26 days before the patient eventually recovered. Munro described the course of the illness and the treatment he had provided, recording that the man lived for another two and a half years afterwards.

His involvement with the medical profession wasn't limited to the British Medical Association. He was also a member of the Northumberland and Durham Medical Society, with his name appearing in its published membership lists from the late 1870s onwards.

Dr Munro and John Bowes

Among the people Munro treated was John Bowes, who founded the Bowes Museum alongside his wife Joséphine. Their connection goes back to at least July 1872, when the museum was still under construction.

On 14 July that year, John Bowes wrote to his land agent, Ralph John Dent, about access to the museum grounds while the building work continued. Bowes wanted to control who could enter the site, but made exceptions for several gentlemen of Barnard Castle and their families. Dr Munro was among those specifically named, showing that the two men were already acquainted.

Five years later, Munro was providing medical treatment to Bowes himself. A letter dated 14 April 1877 concerns Bowes's health and treatment for an ulcerated leg. Further letters followed in May 1877 and July 1878, with correspondence continuing into 1883. In January of that year, Munro submitted an account for medical visits, prescriptions and associated services. On 18 January, he wrote again to apologise for a mistake in the account, and further letters survive from later that month and November.

These letters are preserved in the Bowes family papers at the Durham Record Office. Together with the earlier reference from 1872, they establish a connection between Munro and John Bowes spanning more than eleven years, although the medical correspondence itself covers the later part of that period.

Munro also appears in the history of the museum's governing body. In January 1897, when six additional representative trustees were to be chosen, he was among seventeen people nominated. He received sixteen votes during the preliminary show of hands, but a formal poll was subsequently demanded.

More Than Thirty Years with the Durham Militia

Munro also had a long military career, serving as a medical officer with the local militia based at Barnard Castle.

He joined the 1st South Durham Militia in October 1866. The regiment later became the 1st South Durham Fusiliers and, from 1881, the 3rd Battalion Durham Light Infantry. He was promoted to Surgeon Major in April 1876 and eventually reached the rank of Surgeon Lieutenant Colonel. His military appointments also appear in the London Gazette, including a notice published in August 1877 concerning the Royal Warrant for his promotion.

His duties took him to military camps beyond Barnard Castle. In March 1885, he accompanied the regiment to Colchester, where it remained embodied until the end of September, and he also spent time at Strensall Camp. At home, he was involved with the regiment's activities at places including Deepdale and Deerbolt.

Several photographs of the militia officers have survived in the Durham Light Infantry collections. Munro is identified in group photographs at Castle Garth around 1868, at Deepdale in 1876, Coatham in 1882 and Deerbolt during the 1890s. There are also individual portraits of him, including a civilian photograph taken in Venice during his later years.

Although he retired from his formal military appointment in December 1900, his involvement with the regiment continued.

Welcoming the Soldiers Home

In 1901, Barnard Castle was preparing to welcome home soldiers of the 3rd Battalion Durham Light Infantry who had been serving in South Africa. A local committee was formed to organise the receptions, and Munro chaired one of its meetings at Milner's Temperance Hotel.

The arrangements involved finding suitable places for the soldiers to gather, providing food and organising the official welcome. The Music Hall and Witham Memorial buildings were eventually chosen for the next reception. Munro read a letter from Colonel G. S. Gordon thanking the town for its welcome to an earlier group of returning soldiers. He also mentioned a private letter he had received from Gordon expressing similar appreciation.

Money was raised to help entertain the returning men, and Munro played a part in that effort too. The fund, established in June 1900, eventually collected £116 17s 10d. When Barnard Castle's Boer War memorial was unveiled in August 1905, Colonel Grimshawe specifically acknowledged the help Munro had given in raising the money. The remaining balance of the original fund had been put towards the memorial, and Munro's contribution was remembered even though he had died earlier that year.

He also supported the Barnard Castle Volunteers. At their annual Christmas shooting and drill competition, reported in a newspaper from 1891, Munro was among the local people who contributed towards the prizes. The money and gifts came from residents, military officers and local businesses, helping provide something for the volunteers to look forward to at the end of the year.

Dr Munro in the Magistrates' Court

On 1 January 1883, Munro became a Justice of the Peace for County Durham. He was also appointed to the Commission of the Peace for the North Riding of Yorkshire in November 1891, allowing him to serve as a magistrate on both sides of the River Tees.

He regularly sat at Barnard Castle Police Court and Greta Bridge Police Court, dealing with a wide range of cases. Reports from the 1880s and 1890s include allegations of stealing, begging, drunken behaviour and disputes between neighbours. He also appeared at a court sitting in Startforth in October 1896, and in later years became chairman of the Barnard Castle Bench.

One case from 1904 involved several neighbours living in Broadgates, Barnard Castle. An argument that had apparently started over their children ended with accusations of assault. The magistrates heard evidence from those involved, dismissed the charges against two of the defendants and fined Elizabeth Plimmer and David Jones. Munro was chairing the sitting alongside John Smith and J. G. Hall.

The Tail that Failed

A rather different case came before Munro at Greta Bridge Police Court, under the newspaper heading The Tail that Failed.

It concerned a missing brown Leghorn cockerel at Mickleton. The owner believed he could identify the bird by two long tail feathers, one noticeably longer than the other, and accused another local man of stealing it. The accused explained that he regularly exchanged birds for breeding purposes and had made no attempt to conceal what he was doing.

The case was heard before Munro, Mr Helmer and Mr Chipchase. After listening to the evidence, the magistrates dismissed the charge, and Munro criticised the decision to arrest the man over such a minor matter. He considered it unnecessarily harsh, particularly as the accused was a long established resident with no previous stain on his character, and thought a summons would have been the proper way to bring him before the court.

The case is a good example of the ordinary disagreements that could find their way before local magistrates. Munro's work on the Bench continued alongside his medical practice, and he was still chairing court sittings during the final years of his life.

His Involvement in Barnard Castle

Munro took part in many aspects of Barnard Castle life outside medicine and military service. In 1869, he attended a public lecture on astronomy organised by the Mechanics' Institute at the Music Hall. The Rev. F. Brown spoke about the Earth, planets, satellites, tides and eclipses, while William Fieldhouse helped illustrate the lecture using projected diagrams. Mr Raper played the piano during the interval, and Munro proposed the vote of thanks at the end of the evening.

He also supported education in the town. In 1890, his name appeared among the subscribers towards the new Barnard Castle National Schools, a building project estimated to cost £3,650 before furnishings and other extras. He contributed to church activities too, and in 1894 attended a sale of work at the Music Hall with his wife, raising funds for a proposed Church Institute. Sir Frederick Milbank opened the event, and Munro seconded a vote of thanks to him.

His other public roles included president of the Barnard Castle and District Rifle Club, vice president of the Barnard Castle Agricultural Society and vice president of the Silvertop Institute at Lartington. For a short period, he also served on the old Local Board of Health. He was involved with St Mary's Church and supported a range of local activities through subscriptions and donations.

Munro was a Conservative and took an interest in politics. During the Barnard Castle parliamentary election campaign of 1903, he was announced as chairman of a meeting at the Music Hall where Earl Percy was to speak in support of Colonel William Lyonel Vane. The election itself was an important moment for the constituency, with Arthur Henderson eventually winning the seat for Labour.

Helping the Farmers Establish an Auction Mart

One of Munro's more substantial contributions to Barnard Castle came in May 1890, when local farmers were trying to establish the Barnard Castle and Teesdale Farmers Auction Mart Company.

The farmers had originally hoped to purchase the existing auction mart following the death of its owner, Mr Trery. They offered £2,500, but the property was eventually sold to another party for £3,200, leaving the promoters looking for a different site.

Robert Barker, one of the men involved in the scheme, approached Dr Munro about a field he held at the Flatts. Munro agreed to exchange the land for another field Barker held under the Duke of Cleveland, asking that a small shed be moved from his field to the replacement land.

At a meeting of the promoters, Barker explained the arrangement and described Munro's willingness to help. According to Barker, the doctor had expressed the view that he couldn't stand in the way of the public good. The announcement was greeted with applause, and the committee went on to discuss the new site, which was described as a central, square field extending over two acres.

The company had been incorporated on 12 May 1890, and the proposed exchange formed part of the preparations for establishing its new mart. 

A Prizewinning Horse at Barnard Castle

Munro had an interest in horses, and by 1904 he was doing rather well at the town's annual Horse Parade.

The event had been established to encourage better care and kindness towards horses, particularly those used for working and transport. The eighth annual parade attracted thousands of visitors to Barnard Castle, with horses, Dales ponies, decorated carts, trotting competitions and a donkey derby among the attractions.

The parade took place in a field at Nab End which Munro had made available to the organisers. His own horse was entered in the class for horses driven in single harness for private or professional use, and it won first prize. It also received the award for the best groomed animal, which included a silver cup and a pair of vases.

At the dinner afterwards, John Crowell Pollard of South Shields, who had donated the cup, congratulated Munro on winning it for the second time. He announced that if the doctor won it for a third time, the cup would become his permanent property, and Pollard promised to provide another for future competitions.

Horses weren't his only interest outside work. Munro travelled abroad and enjoyed studying languages, including French, German, Italian, Spanish and Swedish. He continued learning throughout his life, and his obituary recalled that he had visited Rome a little over a year before his death.

Life at Brampton House, Galgate

Brampton House stands at the western end of Galgate, beside what is now Flatt Road. The building dates from the eighteenth century and underwent changes during the nineteenth century, long before it became Barnard Castle Post Office.

Munro married in 1867. His wife was the eldest daughter of the Rev. Thomas Bellas, formerly Vicar of St Michael's Church at Bongate, Appleby. The couple became part of the town's church and community life, and Mrs Munro regularly appeared alongside her husband at local events.

The house was also associated with his medical practice, and Dr T. G. D. Adams worked as Munro's assistant during his final years.

The funeral arrangements give us a little information about the household itself, including the presence of domestic servants. Historic maps show the buildings and fields around Galgate, while an old photograph taken when Brampton House became the Post Office shows the frontage much as people would recognise it today. 

The Death of Dr James Munro

On Wednesday 4 January 1905, Munro was preparing to retire to bed at Brampton House when he was suddenly taken ill. His assistant, Dr Adams, was summoned, but Munro died at around half past eleven that evening. He was 68 years old. The newspaper described the cause of death as heart trouble, using the term paralysis of the heart.

News of his death spread through Barnard Castle the following morning. He had been practising medicine in the town for more than forty years, and his work had brought him into contact with families throughout the area.

The Teesdale Mercury published an extensive account of his life on 11 January 1905, including his medical career, military service, public roles and funeral. The article also included tributes from local clergy, with the Rev. J. T. Penrose speaking about Munro at St Mary's Church on the Sunday following his death.

Penrose remembered a doctor who was welcomed into homes during illness but was also someone families turned to when they needed advice about personal matters. He spoke of Munro's sympathy for his patients, his willingness to help people in difficulty and his approach to the magistrates' court, where he had often preferred gentle advice to unnecessary punishment.

Similar tributes were paid at Bowes and Barningham, where local clergy remembered Munro's many years of medical work in the surrounding countryside.

His Funeral in Barnard Castle

Munro's funeral took place on Monday 9 January 1905. The procession left Brampton House while the bells of St Mary's Church sounded. Police officers, military personnel, magistrates, council representatives, clergy, fellow doctors and local residents joined the mourners, with the funeral attracting a large gathering from across the town and surrounding villages.

His two brothers, Dr Aeneas Munro of London and Peter Munro of Wick, were among the chief mourners. The coffin was made of unpolished oak with brass fittings by John Nevison of Horse Market, who also supervised the funeral arrangements. The inscription recorded James Munro's birth on 2 March 1836 and his death on 4 January 1905.

The service at St Mary's was fully choral, and the church was filled with mourners. Afterwards, the procession continued to Barnard Castle Church Cemetery, where Canon Brown, a former vicar of the parish and an old friend of Munro, conducted the committal. The grave had been lined with evergreens, and wreaths were placed there by members of the household and friends.

The newspaper devoted several columns to the funeral, including the names of those attending. It was a considerable gathering for a man who had first arrived in Barnard Castle as a young doctor in 1859.

What Happened to Brampton House?

Munro's wife continued living at Brampton House after his death. She died there on Monday 6 April 1908, a little over three years after her husband. Her funeral was arranged for the following Thursday at Barnard Castle Church Cemetery.

Even after Munro's death, his name continued to appear in discussions about healthcare in the town. In 1911, when residents were trying to establish a nursing service for Barnard Castle and Startforth, a committee considered whether proceeds from a legacy left by Munro could help meet the cost. The proposal required the approval of his executors, while other donations and subscriptions were also being collected.

Brampton House later became the home and medical practice of Dr T. G. D. Adams, who had assisted Munro during his final years. Adams was involved in community activities himself, and in 1921 he was appointed a trustee of the Bowes Museum by the Senate of Durham University.

By 1931, Mrs E. M. Adams had left the district, and the contents of Brampton House were offered for sale. The furniture included antiques and more modern household items, with around a thousand people reported to have attended the viewing before the auction. A large crowd returned for the sale itself.

Plans were already being considered for a different future for the house.

Brampton House Becomes Barnard Castle Post Office

During 1931, discussions took place about the future of Brampton House and its grounds. The government intended to use part of the property for a new Post Office, and land at the rear, formerly the garden, was being considered for other purposes. There was a suggestion that the council could use it for a market hall, and another proposal involved creating parking spaces. The council decided not to proceed with the parking proposal in February 1932.

In June 1932, the Commissioners of His Majesty's Works advertised for contractors to carry out alterations and additions to Brampton House, Galgate, to form the new Barnard Castle Post Office. Drawings and specifications for the work were made available for inspection, and by September, Messrs Earnshaw and Co. of Stockton on Tees had begun the conversion.

The Teesdale Mercury later published a photograph of the completed Post Office, together with a description of the new premises. The public counter occupied a large room on the ground floor, with letter boxes by the entrance, a sorting room, telegraph facilities and accommodation for the postal staff. There was also a four stall stable at the rear, with a garage further back for the motor mail vans.

The move from the old Post Office was carried out over a weekend. The previous day's mail had been dealt with on Sunday, and at eight o'clock on Monday morning the new building opened for business without any formal ceremony. The newspaper explained that the premises had previously been Brampton House, occupied by Dr Adams and, before him, Dr Munro.

The upper floors continued to provide living accommodation, including rooms for the postmaster. In 1938, the funeral announcement for Barnard Castle's postmaster Mr Brittain still gave Brampton House as his residence.

Many years later, the upper part of the building was converted into 4 flats and became known as Munro Court, preserving the doctor's surname. The building itself remains Grade II listed, and its familiar frontage is still part of Galgate today.

Remembering Dr James Munro

Dr Munro arrived in Barnard Castle in 1859 and spent the next 45 years living and working here. During that time, his medical practice took him into homes across Teesdale, while his military service, work as a magistrate and involvement in local organisations made him a familiar figure in the town.

The newspapers have preserved some wonderful details of his life, from attending injured railway workers and treating John Bowes to helping farmers establish an auction mart and winning prizes with his horse. His own medical writings have survived too, along with photographs from his military career and the original dissertation he wrote as a young student in Edinburgh.

And there's still Brampton House, standing at the western end of Galgate.

Today, we know it as Barnard Castle Post Office, but its history stretches back long before the first letters and parcels were handled there. Dr James Munro lived in that building, practised medicine in the town for more than forty years and died there in January 1905.

It's worth looking at the old building the next time you're passing. There's a lot more to it than the Post Office we know today.

Explore More of Teesdale's History

Dr Munro's life connects with several other people we've researched in Barnard Castle and Teesdale. You can read more about John Bowes, whom Munro treated during the 1870s and 1880s, or discover the story of Robert Taylor Richardson, another important figure in the town's military, legal and charitable history.

There's also Henry Witham of Lartington Hall, remembered for his work in geology and his connection to The Witham, and his son Reverend Monsignor Thomas Witham, who became closely involved with local institutions, estates and the Bowes Museum.

Other local stories include Thomas Breaks, the merchant behind Barnard Castle's Market Cross, Frank Shield, the Victorian hermit of Barnard Castle, Sir Thomas Robinson of Rokeby, and Hannah Hauxwell, whose life in Baldersdale became known far beyond Teesdale.

You can also explore our Barnard Castle town guide, return to the People of Teesdale collection, or visit Discover Teesdale for more local history, walks and places to explore.