Montgomery, John Howard (1926-1945)

updated March 12, 2014.

John Howard Montgomery (front row, 2nd left, dressed in light color suit) in 1908 photo titled "Mission Council, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China, January 1908". Credit: University of Southern California Libraries.

b. June 21, 1878, Antrim, Northern Ireland - d. February 26, 1966., bur. Clandeboye Cemetery, Bangor, Northern Ireland. Campbell College and Queen's College, Belfast; MB, ChB (Edin.) 1902. Private practice, assisted a Dr. E. J. W. Carruthers, of Cheshire, 1902-04; Medical Missionary 1905, China. English Presbyterian Mission, Changpoo, or Changpu, (Zhangpu) 福建省漳浦縣, near Amoy (Xiamen) 廈門市. Member, Presbyterian Church of England Foreign Missions Committee (China) January 1908; member, Mission Council, Amoy Hong Kong 1926. British Medical Association. Honor: Hong Kong Defense Medal (1951). Retired to Ireland, address: #44 Bawnmore Road, Belfast.

HONG KONG 1926. Registered to practice June 30, 1926. Medical Superintendent, Matilda Hospital 1926-45. Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, interned, Medical Officer In Charge, Matilda Relieve Hospital; later Stanley Camp.

s/o Very Rev. Dr. Henry Montgomery (of Lower Crescent, Belfast; MA) and Euphemia Anna Gowdy. Siblings: 1. Elizabeth Joy Montgomery (b.1870, Bangor; m. Henry Thedore Hodgkin 1903); 2. Eleanor Agnes Montgomery (b.1871, Bangor); 3. Henry Theodore Montgomery (b.1873, Bangor); 4. Robert Montgomery (b.1880, Belfast).
m. Ida Rebecca Latimer November 24, 1905; b.1877-d.1960; d/o Rev J. Latimer ( of Groomsport, Ireland; MA); Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, Lady Supervisor, Matilda Relieve Hospital. Had issues: 1. Terence H.L. Montgomery (b.1906-d.1962; MB, DPH, DTMH); 2. Irene Montgomery (b.1907-d.1997);

Desmond Alan Dill Montgomery. Credit: British Medical Journal.

3. Desmond Alan Dill Montgomery (b.1916, China – d. July 7, 2003; FRCP; Consultant Physician, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast 1951; Honorary Professor of Endocrinology, Queen's University, Belfast; m. Susan [s.n.]; had issues: two [s.n.]).

Publications: The Diagnosis of Nasopharyngeal Malignant Turmors, The Bulletin of the Hong Kong Chinese Medical Association 香港中華醫學會醫刊, April, 1949.

[Montgomery pioneered the radium cancer treatment in 1929 and later gave treatment to patients at other Hong Kong hospitals as well. In July 1937, the hospital trustees decided to donate the Matilda’s radium to the government.]

[I know not why Montgomery was newsworthy, plainly for a minor car accident. The front page of the China Mail of July 3, 1923, carried a story titled “Dr. Montgomery in Collision”. It said that the good doctor's car came into collision with with a car owned by Mr. Lee of #25 Seymour Road, when driving up the Repulse Road. The offside mudguard, head lamp and axle of Montgomery's care was damaged. It must have been a very slow day for newsies in Hong Kong.]

Selected bibliography: Bondfield, G.H. (Ed.), The Mission Year Book: being The Christian Movement in China 1912, Shanghai: Christian Literature Society for China, 1912. The British Medical Journal, August 16, 2003, p.398. The Hong Kong government Gazette, July 2, 1926, #351. Lennon Wylie › Campbell College Register 1894-1954 [internet]. Lucas, Edward Verall, Who's Who in the Far East, 1906-07. Matilda International Hospital [internet]. RootChat.com [internet]. The Silver Bowl [internet].