The sudden death of Dr. Bayer in the very prime of his life will awaken feelings of sorrow in many a South Australian home. We question if the death of any man amongst us would excite emotions of more universal regret than that of the able and kind-hearted physician who has been cut down in the flower of his days, and whose loss so many persons arc now lamenting. The Doctor was acknowledged to be at the bead, of the medical profession in this colony, and this honourable position was conceded to him by his colleagues rather than claimed by himself. He was thoroughly wedded to bis profession, and devoted to its sublime duties the whole of his time, the richest of bis thoughts, and the best of bis energies. The general estimation in which he was held would have made it easy for him to obtain the highest honours — municipal or legislative — which the colony can confer. We believe that more than once he was urged to enter public life, but he steadily refused to do so. He was a physician in large practice, and he refused to sacrifice a position which brought him honour and gave him pleasure to any other pursuit. There can be no doubt that his patients approved of his firmness in this respect. It was their interest to have his undivided talents devoted to his own profession. The feeling which grows up between a medical man and his patients is sometimes a warmer one than that of mere professional acquaintanceship. He is with them at the hour of their greatest need, and sees the sacredness of sorrow on which but few other eyes look. It is not unseldom, then, that the 'family doctor' becomes the personal friend. We believe this was peculiarly the case with Dr. Bayer. None whom he ever visited professionally were not glad to see him again. His presence in a sick household often brought confidence. There was a robust vigour and manliness about him which inspired trust in his skill, and withal he was very kind. Where matters were not serious he would laugh and joke with the best, but in a really critical case, where hope might no longer Le indulged, he was as tender as a woman, and many a sorrowing heart has been soothed by his sympathetic words and looks. It is the remembrance of these traits in his character which will give bitterness to the sorrow of many of those who have benefited by his services and been cheered by his kindness. Frederick Charles Bayer was, we are informed, born at Munich in. Bavaria, and studied in the first instance at the University of Erlangen. Subsequently he visited several of the German Universities, with a view to perfect himself in the various branches of the profession to which he had devoted his life. Had he remained in his own country there is no doubt he would have taken a high position as a medical practitioner. But while he was yet a young man an event occurred which, though at the time it might appear to be an unfortunate one for himself, was a happy one for this colony. Having attended a duel in Bavaria as a medical man, and refusing from a feeling of honour to give up the names of the principals, he was denied any official employment in his native country, when he resolved to emigrate to South Australia. He arrived here in the Heloise, Captain Beckmann, on the 17th March, 1847, as Surgeon-Superintendent of the vessel/ A short time after his arrival the following paragraph was published in the Register. We believe the paragraph was communicated by his friend Mr. Noltenius, to whom the young Doctor had letters of introduction Our readers will,- we are sure, be glad to have this brief account of the circumstances under which Dr. Bayer came to the colony placed before them now that he is 'gone over to the great majority :' — 'Our attention has been called to a notice in the Bremen Zcitung of the 4th October respecting Dr. Bayer, the burgeon-Superintendent of the Heloise, the following translation of which we have much pleasure in admitting to our columns :— Nuremberg (Bavaria), September 27. ''A few days ago a very affecting scence took place here which deserves to be generally made Known, with all its particulars. A number of friends and fellow-students accompanied Dr. Bayer to this place, who purposes establishing himself in New Holland, in consequence of having received from the Bavarian Government official intimation that he can never calculate upon receiving any appointment in this country. The ground of this exclusion is the exhibition of a degree of moral firmness in Dr. Bayer such as is seldom met with in young men. He had been suspected of having professionally attended a duel between two students, in which one of the combatants received a wound, of which he died within a few hours afterwards. Dr. Bayer did not deny his professional assistance on the occasion, but when he was called upon to name the party who had inflicted the mortal wound be firmly refused to do so. He endured with fortitude the heavy fines to which he was three times condemned, but adhered steadfastly in spite of every threat to his first declaration, and by that means saved the surviving principal, the seconds, and the witnesses from punishment. On the other hand the Bavarian Government persisted in their determination that Dr. Bayer should be altogether excluded from any public employment; in consequence of which that gentleman made up his mind to emigrate to South Australia. The departure of this very estimable young man, equally so in regard to the firmness of his character and his general disposition, and to his practical attainments, was exceedingly affecting.' ' The editor of the Bremen newspaper adds in a note subjoined to the above extract that Dr. Bayer, whose acquaintance he made, and whom he describes as an excellent, talented, and practical man. was just then in Bremenhaven and about to sail for Adelaide in the Heloise, in the capacity of surgeon. We hope the worthy Doctor will be soon as much pleased that he has selected South Australia for his new home as all his fellow countrymen who have already settled here most undoubtedly are at the present moment that their own. steps were directed to this thriving and promising colony.' Almost immediately on his settling in Adelaide, though he laboured under the dis advantage of being a foreigner whose knowledge of the 'English language was somewhat scanty, he took a good positron as an accomplished and a skilful medical man. His force of character and professional ability in some serious cases which were placed under bis care inspired a confidence in his skill which he retained till the day of his death. The young Doctor's practice grew upon him, and his fame spread on all hands. It was not an easy thing for a foreigner whose English was defective, and who had to live down some amount of professional jealousy to secure his position; but having once secured it, it was his own as long as he lived. For some years past Dr. Bayer's practice increased to an inconvenient extent In addition to attendance on his own patients he was often called in to consultations with other practitioners, so that his life became one of incessant toil He was too kind-hearted to turn away from the pleadings of even the poorest person who sought his professional aid, even though the prospect of remuneration was a very remote one. For years Dr. Bayer, with his fine robust constitution, was able to go through an amount of labour which but few men could have borne ; but at hist even his noble physical and mental organization succumbed to the pressure of hard work. Some seven or eight years ago Dr. Bayer visited Europe for relaxation, and improvement in his profession. In the branch of surgery to which he had paid great attention many improvements had taken place since he left Germany. He therefore spent much time in the continental hospitals, with his active mind ever on the alert to make his own whatever was new and valuable in his profession. Richly, we believe, did his South Australian patients reap the benefit of that short visit. After his return from Europe his popularity and his practice increased, and his energies were stretched to their utmost point of tension. A few months ago twenty years' incessant toil of hand and brain began to tell upon him. His health suddenly gave way, and a short visit to Melbourne was tried as a remedial measure. While there, however, be had not that complete rest and freedom from anxiety which he so much needed. The requirements of his patients at home troubled him, and that craving for work which became to him a second nature was ever with him. He was soon back again, and again the incessant work went on. His friends could see that he was suffering, but for himself he seemed determined to die in harness, and thus he died. On Thursday, August 15, the long strung bow suddenly snapped asunder. In the midst of bis labours he was cut down. He was seized with apoplexy, and though the members of that profession of which he had been so bright an ornament, with his old friend and partner Dr. Gosse at their head, were unwearied in their efforts to save him, he never rallied. On Thursday night at 11 o'clock he passed away. He undoubtedly died a martyr to his profession. Could he have rested, his life might have been spared for many years to come. We shall not attempt to describe the universal sorrow which was felt when it was publicly known that the skilful and kind hearted Doctor was no more. Almost every man felt as if he had lost a personal friend whose loss would be long deplored. Dr. Bayer married, soon after he came to the colony, a daughter of Dr. Kent's, by whom he had a large family. We believe eight children survive their parent ; two boys are now at school in England, one being destined to follow the profession of his father, whose assistant and successor it was fondly expected he would become. Dr. Bayer occupied an important position in the colony. Apart from his profession he was a connecting link between the English and the German colonists. On questions of moment the latter were glad to put their countryman forward as their representative, and the former were proud to receive him in that capacity. He was a man of large heart and wide benevolence. For any cause of charity his generous assistance might be confidently reckoned on. But few persons knew the extent of his benefactions. His professional skill was at the service of the poorest and the humblest, and we do not remember a single instance in which he ever sued a patient for his hard earned fees. We know that there is no profession in which such noble examples of kindness and generosity are witnessed as in that of medicine ; and Dr. Bayer was not only no exception to the general rule in this respect but he was a conspicuous example of it. These acts of kindness, unweariedly shown, are his best memorials. He will go down to the grave amidst the lamentations of all classes in the community who have benefited by his services and lament his too early death— for he was only fifty-two years of age.
South Australian Register Saturday 17 August 1867 page 2
BEDDIES, Johann Heinrich Friedrich
BEDDIES, Johann Heinrich Friedrich
BIERWIRTH BOCK, wife, 4 ch CALLE DOUSSA DREYER (Augusta Rosalia?) DREYER (Johann Georg?) DREYER Mrs (w), 2 ch DUNEKE, wife FIRNHABER Carl Eduard, Elisabeth Sophia STUCKENSCHMIDT, Crln Eliza, child FISCHER Georg, wife, 3 ch FALSENBURG / FALKENBURG Gottlieb Ackerbauer GOPP (Georg, brother) GRUEN / GRIM Johann Georg HARMS Anna (w) HERBERGER Carl Heinrich, wife HERMANN Johann HERMANN Leopold HEUSLER Johann Georg, Christiana BAUM, J Fried, Gottfried, Anna Rosina, Crln, Anna Elis, Fried Whm, Carl August, Christiana, Julianne HOFFMANN Georg Christoph, Augusta Sophie Louisa TANNENBERG, (Whm) HOLFS, wife, child HUBNER Johann Gottlieb, Amalie Theresa ALTENTHALER, Berthold Gustav Robert (d aft arr), Emil (d aft arr) HUFF Johann, Anna Christina GRUNING, Anna Crln, August Ludwig, Fried Ptr, Johann, August (b@sea) KIRCHNER Friedrich Ernst, Anna Charlotte POKRANDT / BUCHRANTE (2nd wife), Whm Hein (1st wife), (2nd) Fried Alexander, Johann, Ludwig Ben KLEINITZ Wilhelm, wife, child KRIEG Carl Ferdinand, Anna Elisabeth LESKE, Pauline KRIEG Johann Christoph, Anna Julianna HUFF nee HERMANN, Carl HUFF, Emilie, (other ch?) KRIEG Johann Gottlieb, Caroline Adelheid Friederike SCHRADER, Carl Theodor, Whmina Adelheid KUEHN Christoph, Anna Rosina SCHUTZ, 2 ch inc Ludwig LESKE Johann Samuel Gottfried, Anna Dorothea MIBUS, Anna Elis, J Gottfried, Anna Paulina, Carl August, Ja Juliane, Sam Gottfried J LESKE Christoph LIERSCH Johann Georg, Anna Rosina BUDWEIZ, (child?) LIERSCH Wilhelm, Anna Luise ROEBSCHLAGER, Emilia (d@sea), Henriette LINDNER Dienegott, Anna Louise HERRMANN, Emilie, Leopold LORENZ Anna LORENZ Ossig, 4 sons MACZKOWIACK Anton, Wilhelmine KRIESE, Henriette Chlt MARTIN, wife, child MENGLER Carl Heinrich Christian MENGLER Johann Georg Carl Ernst MENKENS Johann Hermann MENZEL Christian, Maria Dorothea RICHTER (2nd wife), J Gottlieb, Mic, Johann, Whm, Dan (←1st wife), (2nd→) Karl August, Anna Elis, Pauline, Emilie, Fried MENZEL Christiane (sister of Christian) MIBUS Johann David, Dorothea HUFF, Carl Fried August, Ludwig, Johann, Crln MIBUS Johann Gottlieb, Anna Juliane NUSKE MONIKES NUSKE Christoph, Louise NUSKE, 4 ch inc Paulina (d aft arr), Friedrich Carl (d aft arr), Ludwig NOSKE / NUSKE Johann Gottlieb NOSKE Joseph Christian, Henrietta GREGOR, Fried, Carl NOSKE Samuel, Anna Rosina NOSKE, Juliane, Gottlieb, Gottfried Gustav ORDEMANN Conrad OLANE August, wife, 3 ch OLANE Geager PAPPE RADTKE / RATHKE Johann Christoph, Johanne Rosine WIEDMANN, Fried Whm Albert, Luise Mathilde, child RICHTER Maria Dorothea SCHACH Johann Gottlob, Maria Henriette Dorothea ROEHR SCHACH Anna Dorothea, Anna Elis SCHACHE Johann Gottlieb, Maria Rosina ULBRICH SCHLAMELCHER / SCHLAMELGER Wilhelm Friedrich/Ferdinand, Christina (wife), Rosina, Fried SCHOENING Caspar Heinrich SCHULZ Johann Samuel, Anna Rosina MUELLER, Je Juliane, Crln, J August SCHULTZ SEMMLER Johann, Anna Dorothea SEIFERT, Gottlieb, Ludwig, Juliane, Fried SEINDON / SEIDON Anna Roena (d@sea)
SPOEHR August Friedrich Wilhelm, Charlotte Sophie Christine
SPOEHR, Charlotte Sophie Christine The death of Mrs. A. Spoehr took place at her son's residence, Balhannah, on October 10, after only a few days illness. The deceased lady was born in Hanover in 1817, and arrived with her late husband in Adelaide on March 17, 1847, in the ship Heloise, the late Dr. Bayer being the surgeon super intendent of the vessel. The couple settled at Glen Osmond, and thence they went to Balhannah, wheie Mrs. Spoehr resided for over 50 yeas, and up to the time of her death. She leaves 1 son, 3 daughters, 22 grandchildren, and 1 great-grandchild.
The Advertiser Wednesday 23 October 1901 page 4
SPEHR, Heinrich Friedrich, Sophie Henriette WESCHEN, Ottilie Emilie Friederike, Christian Hein VON DOUSSA Emil Louis Alfred WILKOWSKY Jacob, wife WRUCK ZADOW Gottfried, Anna Susanna KIEHN, J Ludwig, child, Fried, Hermine Maria ZOFFT, wife