THE fascinating story of a young Scottish doctor who opened a medical practice in Ramsbottom nearly 200 years ago is told in a new book.

Ramsbottom’s Revolutionary Doctor is the latest book by former Bolton headteacher and local resident Nigel Jepson who happened by chance to see the name of Peter Murray McDouall on a blue plaque, which pays testimony to the brief by highly eventful life of the doctor.

The former Kearsley Academy head said: “I was curious to find out more about the young doctor and embarked on researching into his life and times.

“Everywhere I looked, both in Ramsbottom and beyond, the story seemed to become more interesting. Just from a purely local history perspective for example, McDouall is arriving on the scene at a time when the main changes are taking place which created the Ramsbottom town-centre of today.

“Beyond this though is the compelling story of the extent to which McDouall came personally to commit himself, on a national basis, to seeking to improve the lives of all those at the mercy of having to suffer the huge social and economic hardships of those times.”

The doctor was shocked by the conditions that local factory workers faced in the mills. But there was little he could do to bring about change until he joined the ranks of the Chartist movement.

“Becoming a Chartist leader, Dr McDouall, possessing what was described at the time as a fiery ardent temperament, proved himself a powerful orator delivering rousing speeches to thousands of people in public meetings across the country. Championing the rights of working people, he became a cult figure to followers. At the same time however, he also became a threat to the Home Office who were desperate to put him under lock and key,” added Nigel.

“Any form of protest was looked upon very harshly by the authorities at this time but McDouall put his head above the ramparts and was not prepared to be silenced, whether in Ramsbottom or anywhere else. Sentenced to two spells of imprisonment, during the first of which he met his future wife, daughter of the prison warder, and a spell of exile in France, he was eventually to die in mysterious circumstances, aged only 40, after emigrating to Australia with his wife and children.”

Nigel drew on the expertise of members of Ramsbottom Heritage Society in penning the autobiography.

He said: “This undoubtedly proved invaluable in creating the platform for studying the life of a man who was to go on to become a figure of national importance in what was for him a mission to achieve stronger democratic ways of governing the country as a whole.’

•The local book launch for ‘Ramsbottom’s Revolutionary Doctor’ will take place at Ramsbottom Cricket Club on Sunday from noon until 2pm.

Nigel will be on hand to sign copies of the book which will be available for a reduced price of £10 on the day; £5 from each book sold will be donated to Ramsbottom Pantry, a local charity set up to help families who are struggling to make ends meet.

Refreshments will be available for those attending.