Dr. William Russell Watson - 2

There is a report of medical missions in Japan Christian Year Book 1917. At the part of General Hospitals, St. Barnabas', St Luke's, Akasaka and Salvation Army Hospital are coming up. Among those four hospitals, three of them are still working for Japanese people. Sadly, Akasaka is no more.

The Akasaka Hospital, Tokyo. This hospital was founded by Dr. W. N. Whitney in memory of his mother, who was a missionary in Japan from 1872-1883. In 1886 a small beginning was made with but two rooms, the success of the work was assured from the very first, and the hospital has been enlarged several times since. Paying patients can be received into the hospital, first, second and third class. So far as funds permit those unable to pay are treated free of charge. Dr. W. R. Watson, F.R.C.S. of Dublin, has been in charge since the return home of Dr. Whitney. Though the hospital is under the control of an interdenominational committee in Japan, the Society of Friends in Britain and Japan is very much interested in the financial and general management of the work. This hospital has been singularly blessed in the spiritual work that is carried on in it, and a Japanese evangelist as well as a bible woman give their whole time to this side of the work. [p.258]

“the Society of Friends in Britain and Japan” mentioned.

What was Dr. Watson like? There is more information at the Field Reports of The 1913 Minutes, Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends. Yes, Quakers of Baltimore (Maryland, USA) supported the Hospital.  He was reported as:

Japan. ―  A contribution of $150.00 was again sent to the work of the Tokio Hospital. Although Dr. and Mrs. Whitney have been unable to return to Japan, the out-patient department has been faithfully conducted by the Japanese. In August an Irish Friend, Dr. William Watson, who has spent a year in Medical Mission Work in London since taking his doctor's degree, was sent out to assume responsibility for this work. He is quiet and earnest, and possessing a most attractive personality; he has already proved himself a successful soul-winner, we may count it a privilege to have a share in his financial support.

The future policy as outlined by the London Committee is to use the hospital to fight Japan's great curse of tuberculosis, and to co-operate more and more in this with the Philadelphia Friends' Mission, which has undertaken to carry on a seaside sanitarium for incipient tubercular cases. With such an earnest, well-equipped physician at the head as Dr. Watson, and such a successful Bible woman as Mrs. Mori, we may well believe that the Akasaka Hospital has a beautiful future of Christ-like Work before it. [ Minus of BYM, 1913, pp.18-19]

Well, “quiet and earnest, and possessing a most attractive personality...”

That may be rather too much praise. This report tells that he had worked as a medical missionary in London before he came to Japan.

[ His resignation ]

Now let's see the time when he resigned as the director of the hospital.

It could be before January 1919, because an ad of the 1918 Christian Year Book in Japan (基督教年鑑 大正７年版) contains no name of Watson, but only acting director Dr. KOGA. [ see this page ]. This edition was printed in 20 January 1919. Thus, he probably resigned in 1918.

In Japan Christian Year Book 1919 Dr. & Mrs. Watson's address was Akasaka Hospital, and they are independent missionaries, but they are absent. The UK, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960 tells that Mr and Mrs Watson left Japan in 1919 with their daughter, and reached Liverpool by way of Montreal, Canada, on 1 June 1919, about seven months after the great war ended. 

While a year book of 1920 still his name was within the hospital, Directory 1920 shows Watson returned to Japan, but had connection with the Akasaka Hospital no more. Seeing that he had a telephone installed, he must have practiced medicine. 

Church Missionary Society Archive holds a letter of “
Watson, Dr William R: Hangchow, China, Nov 1921” (see this page). He went to China as a CMS missionary. He  transferred to Church of England, of his wife had belonged.

The following image is the last one  I've found on Directory 1922. Yes, he was at Hangchow Hospital with his wife. (Hangzhou 杭州/中国浙江省の省都; 廣濟醫院、広済医院、広済病院)

http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.$b581044;view=1up;seq=980

According to the obituary of him, he was back to Japan about 1922. Unfortunately, I've not found his name on after 1920 edition of Japan Christian Year Book, except his obituary in 1934.

The 1931 edition of Medical Register informs that:

Watson, William Russell : 16, Zion road, Rathgar, Dublin [here]

1910, May 10, I

M.B., B.Ch.1910, M.D.1919, U. Dubl.; F.R.C.S. Irel.,1913 

*   *   *   *

I've found Mrs Watson's obituary in the 1965 edition of Japan Christian Year Book (p.632), under Matson surname mistakenly.  She died in 1962.

MATSON, MRS. W., (nee Miss Pat Reeves), Church Missionary Society, died May 17, 1962. In Japan: 1914-1916. In China 1921-1922. She was late president of the Irish C.E. 2 M.S.              2 Yrs. 

This notice tells that Pat Watson resigned the CMS when she married Dr. Watson. Her missionary years in Japan was only two years. Their work in Chine also lasted two years.

Images are cut out and processed by the editor.

Thanks for the those prepared the original data on the net.

Last updated 13 November 2016,
edited 21 July 2015

Dr. William Russell Watson - 1

After Willis had left Japan in 1910, Akasaka Hospital had no director. It was October 1913, a young doctor named Watson came to Japan.
This is his obituary, published on Japan Christian Year Book 1934, p.289.

William Russell Watson M. D.
Dr. Watson was born November 11, 1886, and came to Japan in 1913 as Physician-in-charge of the Akasaka Hospital, Tokyo, to which he gave several years as an independent missionary.
In 1916 he married Miss M. P. Reeves, of the Church Missionary Society, afterwards joining the Anglican communion, and serving for some time as missionary in China in Hangchow Hospital of the Church Missionary Society. After a short time there he came back to Japan and took up private practice.
Dr. and Mrs. Watson and their two daughters returned to England in 1923 after the great earthquake. After some years, his health became seriously affected, and he had to give up all medical work. They resided in his home city of Dublin, Ireland, for the last two or three years, and Dr. Watson passed away there on March 27th, 1933. 

Now, let's look back on his life.


He was son of Samuel Henry Watson of Dublin, Ireland. He was a member of Religious Society of Friends ― yes, an Irish Quaker.

The British Friend, 12th Month 1st, 1886, p.300.

Watson. ― 11th. At 1 St. James's Terrace, Clonskeagh, County Dublin, the wife of S. H. Watson, a son, who was named William Russell.

He had a sister and two brothers as far as I checked at The British Friend. William Russell took the degree of Bachelor of Medicine at University of Dublin (date of registration: 10 May 1910), and later DTM (Diploma in Tropical Medicine) at University of Liverpool.

The 1911 England Census tells that he lived in West London Hospital, Hammersmith Road, Hammersmith, London, as a medical practitioner.

Willis wrote:

Oct.1913: Dr. Watson is going out to Tokyo to take my place at the Akasaka hospital. － Oh do pray for me. I do feel so disappointed. He has been staying with us for two nights. He is a very good man and well qualified. ― As to the hospital while I do feel disappointed in not being able to go back I know Dr. W. is a good man and only fear that he will have a hard time as nearly an the staff are leaving, and he has no knowledge of Japanese. [Remi1933, p.92]

[ His arrival to Japan ]

Dr. Watson's arrival appeared in the newspaper, Tokyo Asahi Shimbun on 23 October 1913. He was nearly 27 years old.

ワトソン博士来朝
ホ井ツトニー博士の帰英以来欠員なりし赤坂氷川町の赤坂病院長は今般後任にワトソン博士を迎ふることとなれり新院長はダブリン大学を卒業し其後リヷプール大学に於て医学を修めたる新進の国手なりと [ 1913年10月23日付東京朝日新聞朝刊 3頁6段目  ]

The next image is from the 1916 edition of Japan Christian Year Book. He was in a list of Society of Friends. The same book shows us his address, as well as of Miss M. P. Reeves [Mary Patricia Reeves] of C.M.S., his future wife.

Miss Reeves was daughter of Rev. Isaac Morgan Reeves, dean of Ross (Church of Ireland), county Cork. Her brother married in 1903, her father died in 1905, and her mother 1910. The 1911 Ireland Census shows that she lived alone in Dublin as a single woman of 36 years old, and had something to do with C.M.S.  Though Dr. Watson was eleven years younger than Miss Reeves, they might have had many things in common, as fellow countrymen.

His marriage announcement appeared on Japan Evangelist, November 1916.

Reeves-Watson. Married at the Ginza Church Tokyo Nov. 1 by the Rev. Barclay F. Buxton, Miss Mary Patricia Reeves of the Church Missionary Society's Japan Mission to Dr. William Watson of the Akasaka Hospital. [p.456]

Their marriage certificate has not been found yet. I guess that it's partly because they married at non-Anglican church -- Ginza Church [銀座教会] was the biggest Methodist church in Tokyo for Japanese people at the time. The priest, Rev. B. F. Buxton [バクストン] was an Anglican, came to Japan 1890 from England as an independent C.M.S. missionary. He and Miss Reeves were fellow workers.

I can see another connection: Rev. B. F. Buxton was also a fellow worker of Mrs George Braithwaite in the Japan Evangelistic Band, a non-denominational fellowship of missionaries. Mrs Braithwaite, a Quaker, was on the committee of Akasaka Hospital. But, why at Ginza church, not Anglican Tokyo cathedral, St Andrew's Church? It remains mystery.


The following is an advertisement of Akasaka hospital at the 1917 edition of Christian Year Book in Japan (基督教年鑑 大正5年版). 「ドクトル ワツトソン Dr Watson」 was the director.

http://kindai.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/944163/276

Akasaka Hospital and Watson without  Dr. , on the 1917 Directory.
Why without Dr. ? Because the British physician of F.R.C.S. (Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons) is called with Mr, not Dr.  I think this was a very difficult to understand for Japanese, still so. Anyway, I could have not found when he had became a fellow.

His address is now 9 Shinryudo cho, Azabu-Ku (麻布区新龍土町九, see map of 1912), not too far from Hikawa cho. His marriage in 1916 made him set up a new home, I suppose.

to be continued.

Images are cut out and processed by the editor.

Thanks for the those prepared the original data on the net.

Some of information are from Ancestry.com.

Last updated 12 Sep. 2015 / 28 Aug. 2015 / 21 July 2015