Pierson Stewart and Partners history of PSP

Pierson Stewart & Partners have been caring for equine, farm and pet animals since the turn of the last century. Although veterinary practices have changed over the years, the objective of our Practice has remained the same – to provide high-quality, cost effective treatment for the animals under our care.

Fred Crowhurst first established the Practice over 100 years ago, in the village of Marden. He was later joined by Tim Heeley when practice was very different from today; the clients in those days were mostly farmers and the patients either livestock or the draught horses that were ubiquitous before the advent of tractors. Fred Crowhurst always wore white gloves when working and was very rarely seen to remove them. He would be driven round the farms by Tim and would remain outside, his white gloves resting on the stable door, while Tim examined the animal. Only then would Fred announce his diagnosis and instruct Tim on how to treat the patient.

Tim Heeley took over the practice in 1944 when Fred Crowhurst died, and continued to run the practice from Marden until 1956 when he bought premises at Brooksden, Cranbrook, which became and have remained, the main centre of operations. In the early days at Brooksden we shared the premises with the Catholic Church. Sunday services and surgeries were held simultaneously until the new Church was built next door. As the workload increased new premises were purchased in Headcorn and Tim was joined by Eric Pierson and Doug Stewart. The present title of Pierson Stewart and Partners dates from 1972 when Tim Heeley retired from the practice. The following partners have now retired from the partnership Eric Pierson, Melvin Walters, Larry Stewart-Smith and Douglas Stewart. Larry Stewart Smith sadly died in 1996. The other three retired partners are still very well.

Although the number of farm animals in the area has declined significantly since the post-war period, the numbers of companion and pet animals has greatly increased. The practice has
continued to expand and further branch surgeries opened in Staplehurst (1988) and Tenterden (1989). Brooksden has undergone a major rebuilding and improvement programme and Marden and Headcorn have been refurbished to provide us with five modern, well-equipped veterinary surgeries.

John Sauvage has done some part-time work for Novartis, a veterinary drug company, advising on some of their products, spent some time giving lectures on cardiology to other veterinary surgeons both in the UK and abroad but now spends the majority of his working time in the practice.

Today Pierson Stewart and Partners is owned by John Sauvage. The practice also employs 4 other full-time associate veterinary surgeons. Associates are carefully selected, not only for their depth of knowledge and experience of veterinary medicine and surgery, but also for their ability to communicate with clients. All the veterinary surgeons frequently attend courses and seminars in order to keep abreast of new developments in the treatment of all types of animal disease.

The practice also employs 5 full-time veterinary nurses to assist the surgeons in all aspects of their work. Brooksden is a registered Veterinary Nurse Training Centre and our staff undergoes both practical and theoretical training before taking their Veterinary Nursing examinations. In addition to the professional staff, we have trained receptionists at each surgery. Our secretarial staff and the accounts department and are housed in Brooksden. We are a registered work experience centre for local schoolchildren and student veterinary surgeons regularly “see practice” with us.

Pierson Stewart and Partners

Emergency number: 01580713381