Dr Alexander Williams

Resident doctor in Trinidad, father of Anna Maria Littlepage (q.v.).

1. Member of the Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh in 1782 when a Year 2 student of medicine at the University of Edinburgh. Of Antigua, age 23 when he published "De materia purulenta", his medical thesis at Leyden in 1785. The thesis was dedicated to Justinian Casamajor.

2. Gravestone inscription at Lapeyrouse Cemetery, Port of Spain: "Sacred to the memory of Alexander Williams. M.D. who departed this life on the 19th September 1833 aged 73 years. And to his wife Ann Hughes Williams who departed this life on the 23rd January 1833 aged 78 years. Also to their grand-children Elizabeth Littlepage who died on the 2nd April 1827 aged 2 years and 48 days. And John Burnley Littlepage junior who died on the 4th November 1834. Also sacred to the memory of John Burnley Littlepage, an affectionate husband and tender father who departed this life the 30 June 1838 aged 56 years."

3. Will of Dr Alexander Williams of Trinidad proved 07/10/1834. The will made Anna Maria Littlepage and John Burnley Litllepage executors and trustees with William Robin Esq. 'of the Island' and left a legacy of £200 p.a. to Williams' grandson Alexander Williams Littlepage for four years while he studied for his MD and £50 p.a. for life to his grandson Edward Lindsay Littlepage: the remainder was left in trust to Anna Maria Littlepage.

1. University of Edinburgh Historical Alumni database, http://collections.ed.ac.uk/alumni/record/78785?highlight=williams%2C+alexander; email from Stanley Robert Criens sourced to R. W. Innes Smith, English-speaking students of medicine at the University of Leyden p. 249, Album Studiosorum Academiae Lugduno Batavae MDLXXV-MDCCCLXXV, kol. 1149 and "De materia purulenta" via googlebooks https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=YuwhtwAACAAJ&redir_esc=y and https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=cIQFSQAACAAJ&redir_esc=y.

2. Photograph of gravestone at https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/139431343/john-burnley-littlepage [accessed 18/06/2021].

3. PROB 11/1838/41.

We are grateful to Stanley Robert Criens and Nigel Burton for their assistance with compiling this entry.