John Hitchman

John Hitchman (1805 – 3 March 1867) was a British medical doctor and philanthropist associated with the town of Royal Leamington Spa. Born in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, Hitchman moved to Royal Leamington Spa by 1828 to work as a surgeon. From 1832 he was on the staff of the Warwickshire County Hospital, later renamed the Warneford Hospital and Bathing Institution. Hitchman donated funds to many charitable funds for the poor. In 1851 he purchased land to establish The Arboretum, a planted space for the free use of the public. This grew into a site containing 500,000 shrubs and trees.

In 1862 Hitchman established his own hospital in The Arboretum, focussed on hydropathy. He adopted homeopathy in 1865 and, though the board disapproved of this as "quackery" he was permitted to remain on the staff of the Warneford Hospital. Hitchman's death was attributed to overwork on his medical practice and charitable causes. Townsfolk contributed for the construction of a memorial fountain, erected in 1869. Provided by Wikipedia