As the subject line says: what might a physician in a small town in 1660s England expect to do in a day? What kind of fees might he charge, and what would his expenses be? What kind of training might he have gotten? Where would he live or lodge, what kind of life would he lead? Would it be unusual for him to be unmarried?
I'm working on a story set in 1666 in England (no points for guessing what the action-packed climax will be), and one of the main characters is a physician. For plot purposes, he needs to be living in a small village, somewhere vaguely near Oxford, he's single, and he doesn't come from money (sort of—see below). I've done a fair amount of research into what a physician might be expected to do, as opposed to a surgeon or apothecary, and I know that this character isn't exactly in a career path with a lot of advancement potential—the real money comes from being a personal physician, or at least having a practice in a larger city.
(A situation I saw mentioned in Iain Pears' An Instance of the Fingerpost, set during this period, was physicians going to small towns during their college breaks and performing medical services there—basically, a summer job. Is that plausible?)
Connected to this is a question of background. Again, for plot reasons, I'd like his father to have been a Loyalist landowner, but following the Restoration and the Indemnity and Oblivion Act (sarcastically referred to as "indemnity for his foes, oblivion for his friends"), those lands are left in the hands of the Cromwellian who captured them, and as such he and his family have fallen into or closer to poverty. Would this be a plausible backstory for such a person?
Please let me know if these questions are too specific, or not specific enough, or if I should post this elsewhere. I appreciate any help people can give me! Thanks in advance!
Hi there - we're happy to approve your question related to your creative project, and we are happy for people to answer. However, we should warn you that many flairs have become reluctant to answer questions for aspiring novelists and the like, based on past experience: some people working on creative projects have a tendency to try to pump historians for trivia while ignoring the bigger points they were making, while others have a tendency to argue with historians when the historical reality does not line up with what's needed for a particular scene or characterization. Please respect the answers of people who have generously given you their time, even if it's not always what you want to hear.
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