John Philp, the leading physician and surgeon in Listowel, and the first person ever licensed to practice here, was born in Cobourg, in this Province, November 24, 1838. His father, Rev. Samuel C. Philp, senior, a Canada Methodist minister, was from Cornwall, England, preached many years in the circuit, and is still living, his home being at Prince Albert, Ontario. His mother was Mary Collins, also English. She died at Frankford, County of Hastings, in 1872. Our subject finished his literary studies at Victoria College, in his native town; studied medicine with Dr. James A. Whiting, of Berlin; attended lectures in the medical department of Victoria College, Toronto; received the degree of M.D. from that institution in 1860; practiced a few months at the then new town of Drayton,the first physician there and in February, 1861, settled in Listowel.
In 1862, the civil war in the United States being in progress, and knowing that a good opportunity presented itself for acquiring additional knowledge of surgery, Dr. Philp went to New York city, and spent several months in Bellevue hospital medical college, the leading institution of the kind in that country. In 1875 he visited Europe, spent some time in Edinburgh, Scotland, in studying his profession, and in December of that year was elected a member of the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh. During the same time he spent a few months in London, visiting the hospitals, and by other means greatly enlarging his store of knowledge in medical science and collateral branches.
Mr. Philp had from the start a good practice in Listowel, and, in skill as well as in the extent of his practice, has kept in the front rank. He is a coroner of the county.
His political views are Conservative, but he has little time to give to politics. As far as we can ascertain, his ambition seems to centre in his profession; he is satisfied to excel in that.
May 23, 1861, Mary Ann Bloor Dain, of Yorkville, Ontario, was married to Dr. Philp, and they have two children; Minnie Louisa and John Dain, who are at present pursuing their studies in the local schools.