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William Lister (physician)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

William Lister FRSE LRCP (5 April 1756 – 3 February 1830) was a British physician who became Governor of St Thomas' Hospital.

Life

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He was born at Ware, Hertfordshire on 5 April 1756.[1] He was sent north to Scotland to study medicine at the University of Edinburgh gaining a doctorate in 1781. He then began working at various hospitals in London. In 1788 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Dugald Stewart, James Russell and Henry Duncan.[2]

In 1789 he moved as head physician to the London Smallpox Hospital. In 1795 he moved to St Thomas' Hospital in London, replacing Dr Crawford, and stayed there until retiral in 1817. At this point he was made Governor of the hospital, a role requiring no work.[3]

Lister died of heart disease on 3 February 1830[4] at his home in Lincoln's Inn Fields in London

Family

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In February 1793 he married Elizabeth Solly, daughter of Isaac Solly, a wealthy London merchant, and sister to Isaac Solly, a Baltic trader.[5] He was uncle by marriage to Samuel Solly FRS.

The couple had at least three daughters, including Sarah (1803–1810). His son, Nathaniel Lister, was also a doctor at St Thomas Hospital.

Artistic Recognition

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His bust by William Behnes stands in the entrance of St Thomas's Hospital in London.[3] The bust was created around 1820 (during Lister’s time as Governor) and presented to the hospital in 1869 by his son.

References

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  1. ^ The Monthly Repository of Theology and General Literature 1830
  2. ^ Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0-902-198-84-X.
  3. ^ a b "Dr. William Lister, Bust, St. Thomas Hospital, Lambeth Palace Rd". pmsa.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  4. ^ "Munks Roll Details for William Lister". munksroll.rcplondon.ac.uk. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  5. ^ "Solly | Ed Pope History". edpopehistory.co.uk. Retrieved 28 April 2017.