Dr. Lewis Miles Langstaff was a prominent doctor in the area of Spring Hill now King City, Ontario.
He was brother to Dr. James Miles Langstaff of Richmond Hill. We do not know too much about his life but seem to have an unusual amount of information about his death. This is thanks to a book by Jacalyn Duffin titled “Langstaff: A Nineteenth-Century Medical Life”. Citing the extensive journals of his brother James Langstaff, this is the account as told in the book:
“Dr. Lewis Langstaff probably suffered from cancer or the equally gloomy tuberculosis. The men [James and Lewis] were close colleagues as well as brothers; Langstaff [James] had taken over the care of their sister’s orphaned children in order to facilitate Lewis’s study of medicine. The daybooks are circumspect about the specific diagnosis that caused him to spend many days with his brother, but they offer some insights. Lewis first fell ill in 1868 at age 48, when he suffered a massive haemorrhage from some part of his chest. Langstaff [James] wrote: ‘haemorrhage 6 a.m. fearfully sprouting a stream like a goose quill about 2 inches up from his breast part of blood coming from the sac itself most likely. I put on a graduated compress, meal pad, and smoothing iron about 8 pounds. It stopped at once completely…I have been there almost constantly for the last week.’ The lesion bled again, the pressure bandage caused ‘sloughing’ at the ‘edge of the orifice,’ and Lewis suffered fainting spells, but he convalesced.
Ten years later there was a visible growth on Lewis Langstaff’s neck, which may or may not have been related to his mysterious bleeding ‘sac.’ James Langstaff and his son assisted Dr. Hillary in ‘removing a tumor from the neck below the jaw…the size of a hen’s egg.’ In six months the ‘tumor’ had regrown and Lewis was vomitting and failing. [James] Langstaff saw no more than 3 other patients each day for the next two weeks before and after Lewis died. He helped arrange the funeral and settle the other affairs of the widow, Annie and her seven children. In the years that followed, he seems to have supported Annie financially, by making mortgage payments to her and employing her sons, Alvah and Herman, at his office and farms.”
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After his death, this article was published in “The Dominion Churchman” December, 1876, Toronto, Ontario:
The Late Dr. Lewis Langstaff United Empire Loyalist Stock. 1820 – 1876
The church has lost a true and faithful servant in the death of Dr. Lewis Langstaff of King County, York. This gentleman from youth showed a desire to do all in his power for the maintenance and extension of God’s cause.
In early life for a number of years he and two other young people walked several miles on each Sunday to St. Stephen’s Church Maple Vaughan, and through their zeal kept up the Sunday School with much success. For many years past, the doctor has enjoyed a large practice in medicine at the above-named place, but it is as a consistent Christian loyal to God’s Church that his many friends would desire him to be known. His great delight for many years has been centered in the little Church of All Saints and King. About seven years since he was the chief instrument to its complete renovation externally and internally. His influence also procured a valuable organ and a very beautiful stained glass window in the Chancel. A very large portion borne by himself. His liberality was such that his Rector found it necessary to insist upon his being less forward in assuming responsibilities in connection with the church.
The doctor’s house was a happy home; Clergy, ever courteously received by him and Mrs. Langstaff. He was most genial and kind and could not do enough for others. Indeed, he would cheerfully suffer inconvenience himself in order that he might make those about him happy. His knowledge of church doctrine, or in other words, Bible truth was amazing. Of late years he could read, think and talk of nothing else. His soul was full of love for God and man. Would that the church had many such devout, sincere and intelligent Christians. From him much sorrow and misrepresentation would many a poor missionary be spared if there were a layman in the mission like our dear lamented friend Lewis Langstaff, who had grasped Catholic truth and in conjunction with the parish Priest circulated freely sound Church literature and spread abroad the knowledge of the whole truth and used every opportunity.
His was a peaceful blessed death-bed and the large number of weeping grief-stricken friends at his funeral bore testimony to the love in which he had been the leading spirit. Oh how comforting sounded the words of our impressive burial service. “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.” Even so saith the spirit for they rest from their labours. He was called “the Beloved Physician.”
Lewis Miles Langstaff born August 1, 1820 at Richmond Hill Ontario, son of John Langstaff and Lucy Miles of United Empire Loyalist Stock. Educated at Richmond Hill and Trinity Medical College, Toronto, Ontario. Dr. Rolph was principal and head of the college at the time. After taking his degree, he practiced medicine at Richmond Hill and Markham, Ontario and finally settled at King, Ontario where he enjoyed a very extensive practice in medicine for many years. He married in 1858, Anne Marie Kirkpatrick of Meadville, Pennsylvania, USA. They had seven children, five boys and two girls. Charles, Alvah, Herman, Lewis and Fred, Anna and Mabel.
Dr. Langstaff was a very active and great supporter of All Saints Church of England, King, Ontario, a mason and a strong conservative in politics. He was very interested in all activities in the town and many times settling problems and restoring peace among the people there. It was in the days of horse-back riding and buggy driving and he always had some very fine horses. He was quite an organist; had a very fine tenor voice and was very generous with his talents.
Dr. Langstaff died on November 18, 1876 and was buried in the church yard of All Saints Church, King, where a fine monument was erected to his memory and that of his beloved [mother], Lucy Miles Langstaff”.