A COMMEMORARIVE plaque is set to be unveiled in the city in honour of a pioneering doctor.

The nineteenth Blue Plaque to be awarded by Chelmsford City Council will be awarded by the Mayor of Chelmsford, Councillor Duncan Lumley, on Wednesday June 21 at RBS Bank, High Street, Chelmsford.

The plaque commemorates Dr Benjamin Pugh, who was a pioneer in midwifery and mass inoculation against smallpox.

He invented the large curved forceps used by midwives and an early ventilator for babies who had difficulty breathing.

The high street building is now Grade two listed and was formerly known as the Mansion House and it was built by Dr Pugh in 1755.

It was an extraordinary home at the time, with a double external staircase from the pavement to the grand entrance on the first floor.

A watercolour by well-known Chelmsford artist Alfred Bennet Bamford shows the distinguished building as it looked in 1908 - by then occupied by a printer.

The painting is in Chelmsford Museum's collection.

Nick Wickenden, Museums Manager, said, "The Council started its Blue Plaque scheme in 1986.

"The plaques installed so far form a list of the most notable Chelmsford men and women of their day, who were preeminent in their fields and recognisable to passers-by.

"Dr Benjamin Pugh is a worthy addition to this elite group."

Historian Alan Pamphilon, who has researched Pugh and the Mansion House, said, "I would encourage everyone to look up as they walk down the High Street and admire this wonderful old building, which was probably one of the finest in the street."