Parliament was petitioned, in 1542, praying that surgeons might be exempt from bearing arms and serving on juries, and thus be enabled without hindrance to attend to their professional duties. The request was granted, and to the present time medical men enjoy the privileges granted so long ago.
In 1745, the surgeons and the barbers were separated by Act of Parliament. The barber-surgeons lingered for a long time, the last in London, named Middleditch, of Great Suffolk Street, Southwark, only dying in 1821. Mr John Timbs, the popular writer, left on record that he had a vivid recollection of Middleditch's dentistry.
Over the last resting-places of some barber-surgeons are curious epitaphs. At Tewkesbury Abbey one in form of an acrostic is as follows:--
"Here lyeth the body of Thomas Merrett, of Tewkesbury, Barber-chirurgeon, who departed this life the 22nd day of October 1699.
=T=hough only Stone Salutes the reader's eye, =H=ere (in deep silence) precious dust doth lye, =O=bscurely Sleeping in Death's mighty store, =M=ingled with common earth till time's no more. =A=gainst Death's Stubborne laws, who dares repine, =S=ince So much Merrett did his life resigne.
=M=urmurs and Tears are useless in the grave, =E=lse hee whole Vollies at his Tomb might have. =R=est in Peace; who like a faithful steward, =R=epair'd the Church, the Poore and needy cur'd; =E=ternall mansions do attend the Just, =T=o clothe with Immortality their dust, =T=ainted (whilst under ground) with wormes and rust."
Under the shadow of the ancient church of Bakewell, Derbyshire, is a stone containing a long inscription to the memory of John Dale, barber-surgeon, and his two wives, Elizabeth Foljambe and Sarah Bloodworth. It ends thus:--
"Know posterity, that on the 8th of April, in the year of grace 1757, the rambling remains of the above John Dale were, in the 86th yeare of his pilgrimage, laid upon his two wives.
This thing in life might raise some jealousy, Here all three lie together lovingly, But from embraces here no pleasure flows, Alike are here all human joys and woes; Here Sarah's chiding John no longer hears, And old John's rambling Sarah no more fears; A period's come to all their toylsome lives The good man's quiet; still are both his wives."