Abernethy, John (1764-1831)

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0114 MS0210
Held at	: Royal College of Surgeons of England   Click here to find out how to view this collection at https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/museums-and-archives/archives/ ›
Full title	: Abernethy, John (1764-1831)
Date(s)	: Early 19th century
Level of description	: Collection (fonds)
Extent	: 2 boxes
Name of creator(s)	: Abernethy | John | 1764-1831 | surgeon

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

John Abernethy was born in Coleman Street, London, in 1764. He was educated at Wolverhampton Grammar school, and at the age of fifteen he was apprenticed to Charles Blicke, surgeon to St Bartholomew's Hospital, London. Abernethy remained at Bart's for the rest of his career, being appointed assistant surgeon in 1787, and promoted to full surgeon in 1815. During the 1790s, Abernethy published several papers on a variety of anatomical topics. On the strength of these contributions he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1796. Between 1814 and 1817 he served as Professor of Anatomy and Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons. Abernethy also offered private lectures in anatomy in a house in Bartholomew Close, near to the hospital. The governors of Bart's then built a lecture theatre within the hospital to accommodate his classes. In 1824 Thomas Wakley, editor of the newly established journal The Lancet, published Abernethy's lectures without his permission. Abernethy sought an injunction but was unsuccessful, and remained resentful about the incident. Abernethy had himself attended the lectures of John Hunter, with whom he was also personally acquainted, and after Hunter's death he professed himself to be the spokesman for Hunter's physiological and pathological views. He died in 1831.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers of John Abernethy, early 19th century, comprising one and a half volumes of manuscript notes by R Collett, House Surgeon at St Bartholomew's Hospital and dresser to Abernethy, taken at Abernethy's lectures on surgery, c 1806; two and a half volumes of manuscript notes by an unidentified hand, taken at Abernethy's lectures on surgery, c 1806; a volume of manuscript notes by an unidentified hand, taken at Abernethy's surgical lectures at St Bartholemew's Hospital, 1806; a volume of manuscript notes by an unidentified hand, taken at Abernethy's surgical lectures; and an envelope of manuscript fragments including a slip containing Abernethy's signature; a museum admittance for [G]iles Gardner and Captain Phillips signed by Abernethy; a slip signed by Abernethy regarding a payment; and an undated letter from Abernethy regarding an absence from the College due to the illness of his mother.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

As outlined in Scope and Content.

Conditions governing access:

By written appointment only.

Conditions governing reproduction:

No photocopying permitted.

Finding aids:

Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Library of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (1928) by Victor G Plarr.

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

The provenance of this material is not known.

Allied Materials

Related material:

Notes of lectures by Abernethy by Peter Mere Latham (MS0211); William Cooke's notes of lectures by Abernethy and others (MS0212); Notes of Abernethy's lectures by Jacob Vale Asbury (MS0213); Autograph letter from John Abernethy to Mr Mortimer (MS0214); Autograph letter from John Abernethy to Mr Reece (MS0215); Autograph letters from John Abernethy to the Royal College of Surgeons (MS0216); Admittance card for Anthony Holbrow to the lectures of John Abernethy (MS0217); Notes on the Surgical Lectures of Sir Everard Home and John Abernethy (MS0218); W Downes notes of John Abernethy's lectures on surgery (MS0053); Prosser-Harvey Collection contains notes of Abernethy's lectures (MS0081).

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Compiled by Anya Turner.
Source: The Dictionary of National Biography H G C Matthew and Brian Harrison (eds), Volume 1: Aaron-Amory, Oxford University Press, 2004. pp 99-100.

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
Sep 2008