John Anthony MD (1585 - 1655)

Born 1585 in London, England

Ancestors

Husband of Katherine Webb — married 14 May 1607 in London, England

Died 28 Apr 1655 at about age 70 in London, London, England

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Disputed Children

John Anthony (1585-1655) did not have a daughter Isabel who married Robert Potter. His son John was not the John Anthony, immigrant to New England.

Biography

John Anthony, son of Dr. Francis Anthony, was born about 1585 in London, England and died 21 April 1655.^[1][2]

John died in about 1655 and was buried on 3 May 1655 in St Bartholomew the Great, City of London, London, England.^[3]

Within the Church of St. Bartholomew-the-Great is a tablet containing information on Francis and his son John. It has a device upon it: three pillars crowned by a garland of roses.^[4]

Sacred

To the memory of that worthy and lerned

Francis Anthony, Doctor in Physick.

...

He dyed the 26th of May 1623, of his age 74.

His loving sonne John Anthony, doctor in physick,

Left this remembrance of his sorrow. He dyed

ye 28th April 1655, being aged 70 years, and was

buried nere this place, and left behind him 1 sone and

3 daughters.

He became a physician also after being educated at Pembroke College. He received an M.B. in 1613 and his M.D. in 1619. He was admitted as licentiate of the College of Physicians of London in 1625. He sold his father's "Aurum Potabile" and made a very lucrative living. He left a notebook containing notes in latin on diseases and their treatment that was at the British Museum in 1885 when the Dictionary cited was written.^[1][2]

A John Anthony served in the civil war on the parliamentary side as a surgeon under Colonel Sandys.^[1][2]

In addition to caring for bodies, he cared for souls, and wrote a work enltilted "The Comfort of the Soul," in 1654. This work was later republished as 'Lucus Redivinus" or "the Gospel Physician" by John Anthony, Doctor of Physic, London, 1656.

From the Royal College of Physician's Monk's Roll we have the following obituary.

"John Anthony, MD, was the son of Francis Anthony, MD, a noted empirick of his time, the inventor and vendor of the so-called “Aurum Potabile,” against whom as may be seen in Dr Goodall’s book, the College carried on a long course of judicial proceedings. John Anthony, the subject of our present notice, was educated at Pembroke college, Cambridge, as a member of which he graduated MB 1613, MD 1619. He lived in Bartholomew’s-close, succeeded to the more reputable part of his father’s practice, and was admitted a Licentiate of the College in 1625. He died 28th April, 1655, aged 70, and was buried at St Bartholomew’s the Great, Smithfield; was the author of Lucas Redivivus, or the Gospel Physician. 4to. Lond. 1654."

This following summary of his life from Alumni Cantabrigienses, among other things, clearly states the one son mentioned on his tombstone was named Samuel.

"Anthony, John. Matric. pens. from PEMBROKE, Easter, 1608. S. of Francis (above). M.B. 1613; (? M.A. 1612); M.D. 1618-9. Licentiate R.C.P. 1625. Practised in London. Died Apr. 28, 1655, aged 70. Author, medical and religious. Buried in St Bartholomew the Great. Will (P.C.C.). Father of Samuel (1634). ( Munk, I. 185; D.N.B.; Vis. of Beds. 1634.)"^[5]

Two Known wives
(1) Mary. Mary was named in the baptisms of Elizabeth (1623) and Rebecca (1624). "Mary the wife of John Anthony Doctor of phisike was buried neare the rectory Dore the 18 August 1640 ."^[6]
(2) Sarah. Sarah was named in his will. 17 Feb 1644/5 "John Antony Doctor of Phisick and Mris Sary Wiggs widdow both of this psh were married."

From the Nov 1644 will of Richard Arnold citizen and goldsmith of London. "To my loving master John Anthony, Doctor in Physicke, a silver can of which I entreat his acceptance. To Samuel and John, the sons of my said master, unto each of them a silver wine-taster, and to Mary, Elizabeth and Rebecca, the daughters of my said master, unto every of them an enamelled gold ring to wear in my remembrance.^[7] Full transcription here

Will of Richard Arnold, Citizen and Goldsmith of London 1644

The Will of John Anthonie of London Doctor of Physick was dated 21 April 1655 and proved 2 June 1655. He made bequests to his wife Sarah, son Samuel, and daughters Rebecca Montague, Elizabeth Olmstead and Mary Anthonie. He named several friends as overseers and James Smith the younger and Mary his daughter as executors. He left bottles of Aurum potabile to his overseers and to James Smith.^[8]

Children:

• Samuel. b. c. 1618. Named in the will of Richard Arnold. Named in his father's will "Adm. pens. (age 16) at St. John's, Sept. 22, 1634. S. of John, M.D. of London (1608). B. at Ipswich. School, St. Paul's. Matric. 1634; B.A. 1638-9."^[5]
• John d. before 1655. Named in the 1644 will of Richard Arnold. Richard specifically excluded one Thomas Arnold (a relation), who was supposed to be in New England. He also assigns places of residence to many of the people listed in his will. He made no designation of John as other than son of John. So John son of John was resident of London in 1644, so could not be the immigrant. John was not named in his father's 1655 will.
• Mary was named in the will of Richard Arnold and was named executrix of her father's will.
• Elizabeth d/o John and Mary his wife, was baptized at St. Bartholomew the Great, London, 8 July 1623.^[6] Elizabeth d/o John Anthony doctor of phisick married 28 Nov 1653, Job Olmstead, son of Mr. Richard Olmstead of Dumminton? in High Suffolk.^[6] Elizabeth Olmstead was named in her father's will.
• Rebecca Anthony bpt 30 Sep 1624 at St. Bartolomew d/o John and Mary his wife.^[6] She was named wife of John Montague in her father's will. Her father took extra caution to see that Rebecca received her inheritance for her use, through the overseers, avoiding her husband who was known to waste money.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} "Genealogy of the Anthony family from 1495 to 1904 traced from William Anthony, Cologne, Germany, to London, England, John Anthony, a descendant, from England to America" https://ia801406.us.archive.org/35/items/genealogyofantho00anth/genealogyofantho00anth.pdf
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Stephen, Leslie, Sir. Dictionary of national biography. Volume II. p. 48 New York: Macmillan, 1885
3. ↑ Burial: "London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812"
   London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; London Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: P69/Bat3/A/001/Ms06777/003
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry au Record 1624 #5423590 (accessed 24 April 2023)
   John Anthony burial (died in about 1655) on 3 May 1655 in St Bartholomew the Great, City of London, London, England.
4. ↑ Worley, George. The Priory Church Of St. Bartholomew-The-Great, Smithfield: A Short History Of The Foundation And A Description Of The Fabric And Also Of The Church Of St. Bartholomew-The-Less London (1908) https://jupiter.ai/books/2odE/
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Venn, J. A. Alumni cantabrigienses; a biographical list of all known students, graduates and holders of office at the University of Cambridge by University of Cambridge; Cambridge : University Press, 1922 p. 34
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3} London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Church of England Parish Registers, 1538-1812; Reference Number: P69/BAT3/A/001/MS06777/001.
7. ↑ "Genealogical Gleanings in England" The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. 48:374Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2013.) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/11582/374/23527839
8. ↑ The National Archives; Kew, England; Prerogative Court of Canterbury and Related Probate Jurisdictions: Will Registers; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 248. Piece Description: Piece 248: Aylett, Quire Numbers 264-318 (1655) Accessed at Ancestry ($)

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