On Wednesday, 15 July 2026 a blue plaque was unveiled by Mrs Primmy Bright at Ham Green House, Pill. It commemorates the singular achievements of a brother and sister, Richard and Sarah Anne Bright, who spent their childhood at the house at the turn of the nineteenth century.
We were joined by civic dignitaries: the Lord-Lieutenant for the County and City of Bristol, Peaches Golding OBE CStJ, and the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Bristol, Councillor Yassin Mohamud. Also attending was the Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset, Mohammed Saddiq as the plaque is in his territory. There had been a plaque commemorating Dr Richard Bright on a house in Queen Square where he was born and spent the first year of his life. We experienced difficulties in attempting to reinstate this plaque and so we made an exception and ventured outside the immediate city of Bristol to install a plaque at Ham Green House where Richard spent most of his childhood.
Dr Richard Bright’s Reports of Medical Cases, selected with a view to illustrate the Symptoms and Cure of Diseases by a reference to Morbid Anatomy, appeared in two volumes, 1827—1831. They were landmark publications, containing his research into the causes and symptoms of kidney disease. His work led to the identification of chronic nephritis, known as Bright’s disease.
Sarah Anne Bright lived at Ham Green House for most of her life. She was a keen artist and in 1839 she purchased some light-sensitive paper produced by William West who resided in the Clifton Observatory. Clearly, she wanted to investigate a new art form – photography. She created the earliest surviving photographic image taken by a woman.
Mrs Primmy Bright has researched the Bright family for many years and has published a definitive history, Tales of Opportunity – The Bright Family of Hereford & Bristol 1066 – 2020.
Dr Campbell Mackenzie, retired renal physician and past president of the Dr Richard Bright Society and the British Renal Society, spoke of the distinguished physician’s achievements.
Gordon Young
In our featured image: Mrs Primmy Bright, Dr Campbell Mackenzie, Lord-Lieutenant Peaches Golding OBE, CStJ; Rt Hon Lord Mayor Cllr Yassin Mohamud and Lord-Lieutenant Mohammed Saddiq.
[Thanks to Penny Brohn UK CEO, Andrew Hufford, and Eleanor Davies for hosting the speeches and providing refreshments]