McGill Libraries
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Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Identity area
Type of entity
Person
Authorized form of name
Rees, William, 1801-1874
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Description area
Dates of existence
1801-1874
History
William Rees was born in 1800 in Bristol and was apprenticed to Sir Astley Cooper, a prominent surgeon and anatomist at St. Thomas and Guy's Hospital in London, where he studied medicine. In 1819, he immigrated to Lower Canada and became an immigration health officer at the port of Quebec. In 1822, he was commissioned to take medical charge of transport to England.
After moving to York, Upper Canada, he received his medical license in January 1830 after passing the Medical Board of Upper Canada (MBUC) licensing examinations. He purchased the practice of Dr. John Porter Daly, which he operated until 1840. In 1840, he became superintendent of the Toronto Temporary Lunatic Asylum. In 1845, he was injured by a patient and subsequently dismissed from the asylum. This led to Rees falling into debt and being unable to work. He eventually passed away in the Toronto General Hospital in 1874.
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Sources
Find a Grave
1871 Census of Canada
Terbenche D. "A soldier in the service of his country": Dr. William Rees, professional identity, and the Toronto Temporary Asylum, 1819-1874. Histoire Soc. 2010;43(85):97-129. doi: 10.1353/his.2010.0014. PMID: 21114086.