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healers......

A

annette kurten

Brummie babby
hello.

does anyone know where i can get some sort of list of healers (not spiritual, i`m told) operating in the birmingham area during the late 19th to mid 20th century?

tia.
 
not very many, unfortunately.
my great grandpa was a healer of some sort, all i know is that it was nothing to do with "faith" healing.
i`m a little fixated on it at the moment.

(thanks for the reply) :)
 
If not a 'faith-healer' then it could mean almost anything ... but I'll stick my neck out and say that he might have been a 'manipulator' - some sort of early Chiropractor/Osteopath. These 'uncertified healers' still exist, especially out in the countryside; I know two myself, one of whom, Mr. Adams, is so good, that even the local doctor goes to him with his back-problem!

I know of another, a Mr. Snowden, who until his death in the late 1960's, who was consulted for all manner of ailments, as well as the more usual joint, muscle and back issues. His reputation for success was so great that he was regarded very much like a 'witch-doctor' ... he was a local publican, and never charged for his services; but it was required of the patient to buy a free-drink for everyone in the pub at that moment. Needless to say, it was a very popular pub! :D The man himself had a reputation for being extremely brusque, if not down-right rude to people! He is still talked about to this day; and there are many who testify to his amazing talents....and to his rudeness!
 
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Oh, I forgot to mention, the term 'faith-healer' was always a bit suspect; sometimes 'healers' healed without really knowing how they did it; they just had the 'touch' as it were. Often they would deny any 'magical' or religious connotations, to be sure of not falling foul of the authorities; or else for fear of putting-off potential customers. As mentioned above, the late Mr. Snowden, used to vehemently deny any 'faith' element to his treatment, but he refused to explain his gift...he could just 'sense' a persons illness, without having to be told what it was!
 
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