James Manby Gully

Celebrated Victorian hydrotherapist, awarded one-third of the compensation for the Middleton estate in St George Jamaica, and party to the Chancery suit of Gully v Gully together with John Gully (q.v.), into which the compensation for the Sheffield estate in St David Jamaica was paid.

1.  Born in Kingston Jamaica 14/03/1808, the son of Daniel Gully, a coffee planter of Irish descent. The family moved to Liverpool in 1814 [the DNB says he was sent to England aged 6]; Gully attended College de Ste Barbe in Paris and Edinburgh University (1825-1829) as a medical student. 'But in 1830 a series of blows fell when his father, mother and fiancee died in quick succession, and the family fortune collapsed owing to the Emancipation Act, which freed plantation slave workers' [the DNB says 'the fortune which should have fallen to him as his father's heir vanished on the passing of the Emancipation Act'].  Moved to London and set up a practise in Leicester Square Soho. Married Fanny Court 1831 (2 daughters, 2 sons; she died 1838). 1836 moved practice to Sackville Street in Piccadilly. Married Frances Kibble 1840. 1842 established a clinic at Malvern with James Wilson, treated among others Tenyson, Carlyle, Bishop Wilberforce and Charles Darwin. Supervised development of Malvern, including Malvern School. Retired 1872, drawn into scandal surrounding death of Charles Bravo in 1876. Died 27/03/1883 at Orwell Lodge, Balham. His son, William Court Gully, speaker of the House of Commons and future first Viscount Selby, is also in the ODNB.         

2. Will of Daniel Gully of Island of Jamaica proved 20/11/1824.

T71/869 St George No. 212; T71/866 St David No. 128 (where he is given as 'James Stanby Gully').

1. ODNB online, Virginia Smith 'Gully, James Manby (1808-1883), physician and hydropath'; H.C.G. Matthew, 'Gully, William Court, first Viscount Selby (1835-1909) speaker of the House of Commons.'

2. PROB 11/1692.