John Elliotson (1791 - 1868)

Born 29 Oct 1791 in Southwark, Surrey, England

Ancestors

Died 29 Jul 1868 at age 76 in London, England, United Kingdom

Biography

John was born in 1791 to father John Elliotson and mother, Elizabeth Emmett, in the parish of Southwark. ^[1] John Elliotson, M.D., was the eldest son of a respectable and wealthy druggist located in the High-street of Southwark. ^[2]

He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh from 1805-1810 followed by attending Jesus College, Cambridge (1810–1821) earning the degree of MD at both institutions. He subsequently practiced in London at St Thomas’ and Guy’s hospitals. In 1831 he was elected professor of the principles and practice of physic in London University (now University College London), and in 1834 he became a physician to University College Hospital. He was renowned for being the first physician to routinely use a stethoscope in the United Kindom. ^[3]. His specialty was in the field of phrenology and mesmerism and introduced the practice of acupuncture. He was a widely published medical author. He was also the personal physician of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens, John Forster, William Charles MacReady, Harriet Martineau, and William Makepeace Thackeray. He interested Charles Dickens in Memerism, which resulted in Dickens deciding he had a flair for it and tried to use it to cure a woman friend of a nervous complaint. There appear no records of a marriage nor children associated with Dr. John Elliotson. Throughout his lifetime he continually met with disagreement from the medical establishment and eventually lost his positions in hospitals and career as a medical lecturer. He passed away in 1868 at the age of 76 due to 'natural decay', penniless and living with a close family friend.

Census 1841

Event Place: St George Hanover Square, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Event Place (Original): St George Hanover Square, Middlesex, England

Name: John Elliotson

Gender: Male

Age: 48

Birth Year (Estimated): 1789-1793

Page Number: 14

Piece/Folio: 734/11

Registration Number: HO107

Affiliate Image Identifier: GBC/1841/0734/0012&parentid=GBC/1841/0008142257

Affiliate Record Type: Institution

Household Role Sex Age Birthplace

John Elliotson Male 48

Henry Baker Male 45

Rebecca Baker Female 39

Ann Suddle Female 19

Rebecca Curtis Female 18

John Harbett Male 20

Richard Pitter Male 16 ^[4]

Census 1861

Event Place: St George Hanover Square, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Event Place (Original): Saint George Hanover Square, Westminster, London, Middlesex, England

County: London, Middlesex

Parish: Saint George Hanover Square

Ecclesiastical Parish: St George Hanover Square

Registration District: St George Hanover Square

Residence Note: Conduit Street

John Elliotson Head Male 69 Southwark, Surrey - Single - Physician

Hy E Baker Servant Male 65 Little Oakley, Essex

Rebecca Baker Servant Female 58 Blickling, Norfolk

Sarah Dinge Servant Female 22 Holborn, Middlesex

Elizth Hance Servant Female 27 Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire

Jno K Parsons Servant Male 23 Aylsbear, Devon

Alec C Southcote Servant Male 16 St Pancras, Middlesex^[5]

Death

John Elliotson died in quarter 3 of 1868 in St George, Hanover Square.^[6] Dr. Elliotson is buried in Kensel Green Cemetery, London Borough of Brent, Greater London, England in the Elliotson family plot.

Grave of John Elliotson

Research Notes

Parents: John Elliotson and Elizabeth Emmett ^[7] ??

Marriage for the above parents: "London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932" (database on-line). Ancestry.com. Entry for Elizabeth Emmett and John Elliotson, Marriage, 05 September 1789, St Giles, Camberwell, Southwark, England (accessed 18 December 2020); citing London Metropolitan Archives, London, England; Source.Reference Number: p73/gis/013. Ancestry uk Record 1623 #4175589

Interesting Reading

Experimenting with the Okey Sisters^[8]

A precis of his life and works based on information found in the WellCome Trusts Archives including his influence on Charles Dickens.^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NYXL-1X3 : 22 March 2020), Jno. Elliotson, 1791.
2. ↑ Royal College of Physicians, 1791-1868 Vol III, Pg 258 [1]
3. ↑ Encyclopaedia Britannica [2]
4. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1841," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQJK-97C : 22 May 2019), John Elliotson, St George Hanover Square, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom; from "1841 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
5. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M72G-9CF : 12 September 2020), John Elliotson, St George Hanover Square, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
6. ↑ https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=T9puHHDbIonwW7lDphNG5w&scan=1
7. ↑ "England, Surrey Parish Registers, 1536-1992," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGK6-33JK : 14 September 2019), John Elliotson, 31 Aug 1789; citing Marriage, Surrey, England, London Metropolitan Archives, England; FHL microfilm .
8. ↑ Essay on John Elliotson - https://www.powells.com/post/original-essays/experimenting-with-the-okey-sisters
9. ↑ https://wellcomecollection.org/articles/WsT4Ex8AAHruGfXv

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Elliotson
• "Elliotson, John (1791–1868), physician and mesmerist" published on (https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-8671 accessed 18 December 2020) by Oxford University Press.
• https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/john-elliotson-17911868-192440