Kit, Surgical

Object Name:

Kit, Surgical

Object ID:

2016.037

Place of Origin:

England

Date:

circa 1810

Description:

Surgical kit owned by Dr. Benjamin Kelly (1763-1839) of Gilmanton, NH, c. 1810. Bi-fold red tooled patent leather case with flap, tongue, and loop. Black patent leather interior with seven slots for tools, and red leather cover flaps. Accordion pocket with marbleized paper lining and semi-circular green leather pocket attached inside. Tools: four folding steel knives with hinged tortoiseshell covers, 3.6" long x 0.6" wide; steel scoop, 5.25" long; steel probe, 4.9" long; and curved steel needle, 2.3" long x 0.7" wide. All probably made in England.

Material:

Leather
Steel

Tortoise shell

Dimensions:

H-2.8 W-6 D-0.8 inches

Provenance:

A native of Salem, NH, Benjamin Kelly (1763-1839) was the son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Hall) Kelly. Kelly studied medicine with Dr. Haseltine at Haverhill, MA, before setting up a practice at Northwood, c. 1786. He next moved to Loudon in 1797 and finally to Gilmanton in 1801, where he remained until his death in 1839. Kelly was a member of the Northwood Baptist Church and the New Hampshire Medical Society. He practiced medicine until 1816 and in 1821 was appointed postmaster of Lower Gilmanton. The surgical kit was donated by descendants John S. Kelley and his family. See 1994.018, saddlebags used by Dr. Benjamin Kelly, donated by his great-great-grandson, Donald P. Kelley

Credit Line:

Gift of John S. Kelley and family of Wenham, Massachusetts

People:

Kelly, Benjamin (1763-1839)

Subjects:

Surgical instruments, Medical equipment supplies