Dr John Gorham was born in 1814 at Penshurst, the eldest son of William and Mary Gorham. In 1923 his widowed mother and her family moved to Tonbridge where John was educated and served as an apprentice to Dr West. He graduated as MRCS at Guys Hospital in 1835 and joined Dr West's practice in 1841 which he inherited when Dr West died from dropsy in 1848. He ran the practice single handed until 1873 and continued thereafter as part of the group practice Gorham Ievers and Newton until 1894. He died on 13th Decemeber 1899.
Besides being Tonbridge's principal general practioner for over 50 years, Dr John Gorham published many learned medical works, was Medical Attendant to the Poor law Union, member of The Royal Microscopical Society and The Royal Botannical Society and became President of The Aesthetic Society and The Choral Society. In Tonbridge his influence was substantive through his medical prcatice, his work with the poor, his scietific hobbies, as deacon of the Indepenent Church and he was one of the original members of The Tonbridge Local Board and designed the Town Arms and Seal.