Dr. Brearley Collection

(Click on titles below to download pdf files)

About the Author:
Donald Brearley is a native of Belleville, son of Dr. and Mrs. Guy Gage Brearley, and a graduate of Queen’s University Medical School in 1970. He soon established himself in the practice of his life’s work in his hometown where he has practiced his profession for 40 years.

Dr. Brearley welcomes any additional information for these databases; he can be contacted at [email protected].

Physicians in the Belleville Area before 1950  [UPDATED]
(348 pages, pdf, 2.60 MB) *Updated January 2024
This directory was first published on the Quinte Branch website in August 2010 with more than 400 short character sketches of local doctors (roughly a forty-five-mile radius from Belleville) who graduated before 1900. These character sketches are updated with new information as it becomes available.

An additional 100 character sketches of local doctors who graduated 1900-1909 were added in July 2012. During 2013, an additional 100 doctors who graduated 1910-1919 were included and further research produced another 200 graduating physicians from the pre-1900 period who have also been included. Additional text will follow and will detail each decade, presenting biographical and genealogical information. In March 2015, 100 physicians who graduated from 1920-1929 and 100 who graduated from 1930-1939 were added. An additional 51 physicians who graduated prior to 1900 were added in January 2016. In February 2017, 65 physicians who were from the area but moved elsewhere to practice were added; they all graduated prior to 1900. An additional 50 physicians who graduated from 1900-1909 were added in March 2017. In November 2018, a number of names were edited to include middle names. In March 2020, 91 physicians were added.

The directory is in alphabetical order. Additions since the previous update are marked (new); those entries that have been changed since the previous update are marked (updated).

Dr. Brearley encourages readers to contact him with pertinent information to be included in future editions. He may be reached at: [email protected]

Mayors of Belleville 1850-2003
(79 pages, pdf, 1.8 MB) *Updated January 2024
Compiled by Dr. Donald Brearley, this database includes 67 biographies of those who served as Mayors of Belleville between 1850 and 2003. Dr. Brearley gathered information about the capable and trustworthy mayors of Belleville over 25 years while compiling research for his pre-1900 Physicians project. This is presented in a searchable PDF file, arranged chronologically according to mayoral service and includes advertisements from 19th and 20th century directories and newspapers as well as an index of the mayors.

Graduates of Queen’s Medical School to 1920
(54 pages, pdf, 611 KB) *Updated February 2019
Compiled by Dr. Donald Brearley, this project includes those who graduated between 1855 and 1920. If you have any additional information, please email Dr. Brearley.

Graduates of the Women’s Medical College in Kingston
(12 pages, pdf, 300 KB) *Updated March 2017
With this collection of biographies of the 33 graduates of the Women’s Medical College in Kingston, Dr. Don Brearley has performed a great service for anyone interested in the history of medicine, of women, and of our region. The school operated only from 1883 to 1894, but it was the first college for higher education of women in Canada. Its graduates were true pioneers. Some became missionaries, several married and raised children while maintaining a practice, and all contributed to the well-being of their communities.”
Jacalyn Duffin, Hannah Professor of the History of Medicine at Queen’s University

Graduates of the Ontario Medical College for Women in Toronto
(33 pages, pdf, 384 KB) *Updated April 2017
This project provides brief biographies of the graduates of the Ontario Medical College for Women from its inception in 1883 as the Woman’s Medical College to its closing in 1906 when women were finally accepted by the Medical Faculty of the University of Toronto.

Nurses of World War 1
(65 pages, pdf, 3.65 MB) *Updated January 2018
Compiled by Dr. Donald Brearley, this project provides profiles of 40 women with a Belleville connection who served as nurses during World War I. If you have any additional information, please email Dr. Brearley.

Memorials   [UPDATED]
(14 pages, pdf, 240 KB) *Updated January 2024
A database of short character sketches about soldiers of WWI & WWII from Hastings County who died but are not memorialized at the cenotaph, monument, or memorial park where they were born.

The Heroes of Batoche   [UPDATED]
(20 pages, pdf, 1.1 MB) *Updated January 2024
Historic sketches of the men from Belleville and vicinity who joined the Midland Battalion and travelled to Manitoba to assist in the suppression of the Riel Rebellion at the battle of Batoche.

Druggists, Chemists and Pharmacies in Belleville  *NEW*
(4 pages, pdf, 0.5 MB *Updated January 2024
Historic sketches of Belleville’s early druggists and pharmacies, as well as historic details of life in Belleville during the 1800s.

Belleville Soldiers in the Boer War  *NEW*
(4 pages, pdf, 0.5 MB *Updated January 2024

This document will detail the lives of 21 men of the 15th Argyle Light Infantry of Belleville who volunteered and thus contributed to the Royal Canadian Regiment a quota of efficient men larger in proportion than any other city of this size in Canada.

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