Bartholomew Parr

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Bartholomew Parr (1750-1810)

Bartholomew Parr FRS FRSE (1750–1810) was an 18th-century British physician and medical author, known for his London Medical Dictionary published in 1809.[1]

After earning his Doctor of Medicine in 1773 at the University of Edinburgh, Parr served as Physician of the Devon and Exeter Hospital in southwest England. He was later elected as Fellow of the Royal Societies of Edinburgh and London.

Life

Parr was born in Exeter in Devon in 1750 the son of Bartholomew Parr (1713-1800), surgeon of Exeter Hospital (and a pupil of Dr. William Smellie), by his second wife Johanna Burgess.[1]

He was sent to the University of Edinburgh to study medicine and graduated with a Doctor of Medicine in 1773, returning to Exeter to practice. In February 1775 he replaced Dr. Thomas Glass as Physician of the Devon and Exeter Hospital.[2]

In 1789 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Alexander Hamilton, James Hutton and Andrew Duncan, the elder. In 1797 he was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London.[3]

He died at home at Bedford Circus in Exeter on 20 November 1810. He is buried in the churchyard of St Stephen's Church, Exeter. His will of 1811 is held at the National Archive in Kew.[4] Parr Street in Exeter near Belmont Park is named after him.

Family

He married Maria Coddrington who bore him two sons: Coddrington Parr and Samuel Parr. Coddrington acquired Stoneland House in Dawlish in 1822.[5]

On her death he married Frances Robson in May 1809 but she abandoned him after six weeks.

Publications

  • Account of the Influenza as it Appeared in Devonshire in May 1792 (1792)
  • London Medical Dictionary (1809) [6]

He was editor of both Medical and Philosophical Commentaries and Annals of Medicine.

Artistic Recognition

His portrait, by William Mineard Bennett, is held by the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b Goodwin, Gordon, "Parr Bartholomew", Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, vol. 43, retrieved 8 July 2019
  2. ^ Medical Worthies of Devon, by Dr William Munk
  3. ^ 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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  4. ^ Catalogue description: Office copy will of Bartholomew Parr; physician of Exeter, 1811 (Palk and Kitson... 1811.
  5. ^ "Stonelands House". Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  6. ^ Parr, Bartholomew (1809). A-H. J. Johnson.
  7. ^ "Bartholomew Parr, Esq. (1713–1800), Surgeon (1741–1797) | Art UK". www.artuk.org. Retrieved 8 July 2019.