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