Background
Hele was the son of Richard Hele, of the Close, Salisbury, whose will (dated 1704 and proved in 1706) described him as “gentleman”. At the date of Richard’s will, Henry had two brothers, Richard (1688/89-1756), later a prebendary of Salisbury) and John, and two sisters, Amy and Susannah. The elder Richard’s origins are obscure, though he may be connected to the two Richard Heales (father and son), who were identified as musicians in deeds of bastardy and settlement from the 1670s in the Salisbury City Council archives.
Career
1688/9-1778) was an English physician, who became a substantial landowner in Wiltshire and Somerset. Hele practised successfully as a physician in Salisbury for over 50 years. At a meeting on 24 September 1766, he was nominated as one of the first two physicians of the new hospital that became the Salisbury General Infirmary.
Hele signed the certificate of lunacy that made the scheme possible and was indicted by a grand jury.
From 1744, Hele lived in Myles Place, one of the finest houses in the Cathedral Close in Salisbury. He was involved in numerous land transactions and acquired, in particular, the manors of Sock Dennis and South Petherton in Somerset, and Brook House and Lodgwood Farm, near Westbury, Wiltshire.
In April 1737, Hele married secondly Jane Rolfe, the daughter of John Rolfe, who reputedly brought with her a fortune of £10,000. Hele died on 24 June 1778.
In his will (proved on 9 July 1778), he made bequests of money totalling over £23,000, as well as disposing of his real property.
He was buried in Salisbury Cathedral and his memorial inscription reads: “Master of Surgery Henrici Hele qui rem medicam in hoc clause & civitate adjacenti per quinqueginta annose probe & feliciter exercuit”.
