William Catton Branford

Abstract

William Catton Branford was born in 1837 in the United Kingdom and died in 1891 (place not known). He came to the Cape Colony in October 1876 on a three year contract as the first Colonial Veterinary Surgeon and during his stay was the only veterinarian in the Colony. The challenge that Branford faced in South Africa was formiddable. He was single-handedly responsible for all veterinary work in the colony and had to report on the health of its livestock, investigate mortality and its causes, provide remedies, and advise government on the prevention of stock diseases. He had to travel extensively and several of the diseases he encountered were unfamiliar to him. He submitted reports to government for 1876, 1877 and 1878, but although he was still in the Colony during most of 1879, the Annual Report of the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon for that year was signed by his successor, D. Hutcheon. In 1877 he served on the Parliamentary Commission appointed to inquire into and report upon diseases of cattle and sheep in the colony. In 1882 Branford was struck off the register of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons after being imprisoned for fraud. However, in 1890 he successfully appealed to regain his registration. He was maried to Ann Kitchen. (Source: S2A3 Biographical Database of Southern African Science http://www.s2a3.org.za/bio/Biograph_final.php?serial=341)