Biographical Sketch of the ADAMSON Family (1881); Chester County, PA

Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Sandra Ferguson <ferg@ntelos.net>.

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from Futhey and Cope's THE HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY (1881);

Adamson, Charles, who lived at Corner Stores, near Phoenixville, in Schuylkill 
twp, married Mary Corson, sister of Dr Hiram Corson, of Conshohoeken.  The 
Adamsons were one of the old Chester Co Quaker families.
Both Charles and his wife are deceased.
      Thomas Adamson, son of the above, was born at Corner Stores, Chester Co, 
and is one of the oldest members of the consular service.  In 1870 he was 
appointed consul to Melbourne, Australia, which position he held until 1878, 
when he was appointed by President Hayes as consular-general at Rio de Janeiro.  
During his residence abroad he has taken 'active part in every movement of 
social utility, and not content with existing charities, ranked among the 
leading promoters of several new ventures of benevolence, among which was the 
Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society."
   Sarah R. Adamson (Mrs L C Dolley, MD), sister of Thomas, and daughter of 
Charles and Mary, has the honor of being the 2nd woman in this country who 
received a full medical education and the degree of Doctor of Medicine - 
Elizabeth Blackwell, being the first.  She attended the select school of 
Graceanna Lewis, whose load to her pupil of a work on physiology first 
fascinated, and then led to the determination  to make medicine a special study 
and its practice her life-work.  She continued her studies at the Friends' 
Central School, in Philadelphia, abnd as a medical student with her uncle, Dr 
Hiram Corson.  In 1849 she made application for admission to one and another of 
the medical schools, with the consent and encouragement of her preceptor, but in 
vain.  For a time she studied practical anatomy under Dr Edwin Fussel, who later 
became professor of anatomy in the Woman's College of Philadelphia.  Soon after 
she was received by the Central Medical College of NY, at Syracuse, from which 
she was graduated in 1851, with the degree MD.  She spend a year in Blockley 
Hospital, and received from its board of managaers the same certificate as that 
awarded to the male physicians.  Soon after she married Dr LC Dooley, of 
Rochester, NY, whither she moved, and which continues to be her residence.  She 
is president of the Rochester Soc. of Natural Sciences, an outgrowth of a course 
of lectures by Graceanna Lewis.  Mrs Dr Dolley is a sister in law of Elijah F. 
Pennypacker.