He was the vaccination officer for Sawtry area, and he appointed Dr. Newton his deputy whilst he was on military duties. As a Captain in the R. A. M. C. he left for France on 11 April 1917, on temp. duty, before that he was on the East coast since August 1914.

Doctor Garrood was born at Ledbury in Hertfordshire, and after graduating from St John's College Cambridge in 1895, be worked for two years at St Thomas's Hospital in London. Although he was a founder member of the Amateur Cyclist's Association he was very interested in motoring and in 1895 assisted a petition to abolish the regulation of the time which only permitted motor cars on the highway if they were preceded by a man carrying a red flag

He came to the Alconbury Hill Practice in 1899 as a locum whilst Doctor Lancelot Newton (Junior) (a descendant relative of Sir Isaac Newton) was on holiday and he fell in love with, and subsequently married, Janet the eldest of Doctor Newton's three daughters.

At the start of the First World War Doctor Garrood joined the Hunts Cyclists and served with them on the north east coast before going with the battalion to France in 1917.

Doctor Garrood lived in Alconbury Hill House and ran his surgery from a small green painted building which was little more than a garden shed. it is recalled that the surgery was so small that you had to stand outside in a queue to see the doctor. yet in this building Dr. Garrood saw his patients, prescribed and dispensed medicines and even did operations such as removing tonsils. This surgery building ended its days as a pavilion for Alconbury Weston Cricket Club.

During a ‘flu’ epidemic around 1920, Sid Ayres recalls having time off school to fetch supplies of medicine for the village from Dr. Garrood's surgery. The empty bottles were lined up on a table and after Dr Garrood had added a measure of quinine powder, Sid completed the dispensing by topping up the bottles with water. Sid took the medicine in two haversacks back to Wood Walton where he delivered it to the ‘flu’ sufferers.

Doctor Garrood is remembered by many for his rather dashing style. In his younger days he did his rounds on a horse complete with two panniers to carry his equipment, but later in life he raced around an open topped sports car wearing a leather flying helmet to protected himself from the elements. Dr Garrood's car had an Alvis chassis and engine but he built his own bodywork from aluminium. Most times when the doctor visited Higney Grange he would pick up Sid Ayres for a ride in return for having the field gates opened and closed for him.

Doctor Garrood was an authoritative source of information on most archaeological matters in which he took an avid interest, and any local discovery usually passed through his hands into local museums. Doctor Garrood retired in 1948 partly because he did not like the National Health Service arrangements which were being introduced at the time.  He is said to have buried in Alconbury Churchyard, I have not yet found his grave.

At a sports meeting held at Bempton for D Company of the 1/1^st Battalion on the afternoon of Thursday [ just before 30^th April 1915 ] he was noted as being a judge & Lieutenant R. A. M. C. the prizes for this event, were presented by Mrs. Day, mother of Captain G. L. Day.

His name appears in the first Gazette of the 1/1^st Huntingdonshire Cyclist Battalion printed in the winter of 1914.  = Lieut. R. A. M. C. = medical officer.

He graduated B.A. in the Natural Sciences Tripes from St. John's College Cambridge in 1895. He studied there from 1892 to 1896 then spent three years on the wards of St. Thomas's hospital, London. He had a practice at Alconbury Hill since.

He was gazetted Lieutenant Friday 12th June 1914.

He was a member and once president of the Cambridge University Bicycle Club, and served on the committee for the United Hospital Cycling Association from 1897 to 1899 and represented the association on the National Cyclists Union.

He left for France 11th April 1917, on temp. duties, he had been on the East Coast with the Huntingdonshire Cyclist Battalion since August 1914.

He was a foundation member of the Amateur Cyclist's Association.  He was a Captain in the Huntingdonshire Cyclist Battalion and left for France 11th April 1917. He was on the East coast since August 1914 until  his departure to France.

From HCB Gazette No. 2 -- No. 7, Brooklands” “ by J. R. Garrood, author of “ The House with the Drawn Blinds, “ etc.  Here we have another detective mystery of the blood - and - thunder type - a tale of pallid faces, wheezing throats, anaesthetics and cryptic writings.  After wading through the labyrinths of No. 7, Brooklands, those suffering from nervous breakdown and the strain due to the exigencies of war - time will be wonderfully refreshed and exhilarated.”

He was very interested in motoring and had been since 1895 in which year he assisted in the petition for the abolition of the absurd regulation which only permitted motor cars on the highway when proceed by a man with a red flag.

He also held the rank of Captain in the First Battalion of the H. C. B.   His rank on 27/2/1914 was “Surgeon Major”.

At the wedding of Captain Kenneth Hunnybun in August 1916 he held the rank of Captain and formed the guard of honour as they came out of the church.

27-2-1914. His name appears in the monthly Army List for January 1916 as a  Captain in the 1/1st Huntingdonshire Cyclist Battalion.  medical officer M. D. R. A. M  C. T/F.

Under the military section of the Kelly’s Directory for Huntingdonshire 1914, his name appears as an officer elected in the Territorial Force, Huntingdonshire Territorial Force Association, at the time he held the rank of medical officer Lieutenant with the following details M. D. R. A. M. C. (T. F.)

At the second annual sports meeting held for the 1/1^st Battalion held on Saturday [just before 21^st July 1916 ] held at Hunmanby, near Filey, he was noted as being a Captain  & Judge, Lt Col. E. R. Herbert could not attend due to illness, the prizes for this event, were presented by Mrs. K. D. Knowles.

20/4/1917 = Capt. Garrood, R. A. M. C. (T)., of Alconbury Hill, left for France on the 11th inst., to take up temporary duties there, having been on the East Coast with the Cyclists since August, 1914.

From a local paper dated  20/4/1917     =     Capt. Garrood, R. A. M. C. (T), of Alconbury Hill, left for France on the 11th inst., to take up temporary duties there, having been on the East Coast with the Cyclists since August, 1914.  

Family Information.

Thanks to Margaret Garrood of the Garrood One Name Society and Grace Sutton for information on the family background.