Frederic Osmund STEDMAN [1862-1927]

Notes from Nick Stedman, grandson of F. O. Stedman:

My grandfather Osmund Stedman built the new Peak Hospital in 1898.  He initially lived at 1 Gough Hill which took a little while to find when I was last there because of Peak Rd, which wasn't there in those days.  He later lived at 6 Queens Gardens.

There are a lot of anecdotes about the family's time in HK.  We refer to Osmund as FOS in the family.  He was the eldest son of four and trained at Epsom Medical College and Charing Cross.  There he won a gold medal and James Cantlie, who I believe was also Charing Cross, sent back there to see if they knew of a gold medallist who might come out to take over his role.  My cousin, who lives in the Dordogne, has recently met Cantlie's grandson and heard quite a few stories about him.

FOS was also a frequent visitor to Matilda where he used to stand in for Dr James Sanders.  Have you seen Joyce Stevens Smith's book on Matilda (ISBN 962-729-003-7) where FOS is mentioned and is in in one of the photos?  There are a lot of old pictures (including one of mine) and a complete history of Matilda.  Joyce was a senior nurse at Matilda for 25 years before retiring to Cornwall.  There is a picture of FOS still hanging in Matilda.  FOS sent his two boys (my father being one) back to England to be educated in 1909.  Neither of them became doctors breaking a long line (my son though is an anaesthetist).

During WW1 FOS brought a contingent of Chinese back to Europe to help dig the trenches.  They must have trusted him very greatly as I was told most Chinese regarded the rest of the world outside the boundaries of civilisation.  I'm not sure of the precise date FOS permanently came back to England but it must have been close to 1918.  He settled in Weybridge, Surrey where he helped to found Weybridge Hospital.  His time in HK is not documented so there is only the photographic record.