Bucks County PA Archives Biographies.....Kirkbride, Thomas Story
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joe Patterson, Patricia Bastik & Susan Walters Dec 2009

Source: History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania; edited by 
J.H. Battle; A. Warner & Co.; 1887
Falls Township


THOMAS STORY KIRKBRIDE was born near Morrisville, in Bucks 
county, July 31, 1809, and was a son of John and Elizabeth 
(Story) Kirkbride, the latter a daughter of Thomas and 
Rachel Story, of Newtown township, this county.  The 
Kirkbrides were Friends, and came from the parish of 
Kirkbride, county of Cumberland, England, with William Penn. 
The subject of this sketch, after attending the schools in 
the neighborhood of his birthplace, spent several years at 
school in Trenton, N. J., under the charge of Rev. Jared D. 
Fyler, and subsequently passed one year in the study of 
mathematics with Prof. John Gummere, at Burlington, N. J.  
In the spring of 1828 he began the study of medicine with 
Dr. Nicholas Belleville, of Trenton.  He was graduated from 
the University of Pennsylvania in March, 1832, and became 
resident physician at the Friends' asylum for the insane, 
remaining in that position for one year.  In 1833 he was 
elected resident physician to the Pennsylvania hospital, 
where he spent two years.  In 1835 he began practice in 
Philadelphia, giving special attention to surgery.  In 1839 
he married Ann West, daughter of Joseph R. Jenks, a 
well-known merchant of Philadelphia.  She died in 1862, 
leaving a son and daughter.  October 12, 1840, Dr. Kirkbride 
was elected physician-in-chief and superintendent of the 
Pennsylvania hospital for the insane, and removed to the 
mansion house on the hospital premises, where he continued 
to reside until his death, which occurred December 16, 1883. 
 It is impossible, in this brief sketch, to enumerate the 
many excellent qualities of Dr. Kirkbride.  He was 
pre-eminently fitted for the position he held so long.  With 
a heart full of zeal in his great work, a nature full of 
sympathy for human affliction, and a keen insight into the 
needs of the patients placed under his care, his success was 
remarkable and his usefulness hard to over-est