William. R. Goulding
Surgical Instrument Maker
From Edmonson: 'American Surgical Instruments: An Illustrated History
"Between 1840 and 1890, New York Challenged and then eclipsed Philadelphia in the domain of instrument making. By the time of the Civil War, New York had become home to the greatest concentration of instrument makers in the country. While some Britons, notably William R. Goulding and William F. Ford, made their mark in New York City, fewer and fewer instrument makers arrived from the British Isles after 1840."
Goulding 1840-42
Left and right set of scissors, Wm. Goulding, N.Y. marked
"Goulding (Born 1805), arrived in New York in 1831, but did not appear in city directories until 1838, when he was listed as a surgical instrument maker. "
"Goulding's advertisements bosted he operated a steam manufactory on Ann St. He accumulated a following of leading surgeons of New York, e.g. Alfred Post, surgeon of the New-York Hospital, Obstetrician Gunning S. Bedford, A. L. Cox, consulting surgeon of the Seamens's Retreat, Staten Is., and above all Valentine Mott, the leading New York surgeon of his day."
"Goulding may have intentionally copied premier English instrument John Weiss for the slotted blade amputation saw configuration."
Information on Goulding, see Edmonson's book.
Additional information on a Goulding-Brinkerhoff connection in the late 1850's.
Photo below: c 1849. It features William Robinson Goulding in the uniform of the Independent Guard, 264th Regiment, New York State Infantry, which he joined in 1844. He had blue eyes, stood 5' 8" and weighed 230 pounds, (Etter 2007).
Photo credit: Courtesy of Warwick Goulding and Prue Goulding Crabbe
Click on image to enlarge
This photo and others are featured in: "California Odyssey: An Overland Journey on the Southern Trails", 1849, by William R. Goulding.
Edited by Patricia A. Etter with a foreword by Howard R. Lamar. Publisher is the University of Oklahoma Press, 2009
