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Queen Mary and Westfield College London University PhD Thesis ...

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Tyson was Raid to have been 'very well recom[m]ended for his abilitye & skill in his professon'32.<br />

I have described, elsewhere, how Richard Hale went about acquiring the right credentials prior<br />

to his appointment to Bethiem, courting the recognition of the Royal Society via his anatomical<br />

research <strong>and</strong> writings; <strong>and</strong> it was evidently his forging of friendships <strong>and</strong> connections with es-<br />

tablished physicians; Edward Tyson, his predecessor at Bethiem, in particular; which saw him<br />

prevail over all other rivals in the 1708 election33.<br />

Just how secondary were medical qualifications in determining elections to hospital physi-<br />

cianships, nevertheless, is suggested by the superior calibre of many of those doctors whose<br />

c<strong>and</strong>idacy failed to gain the support of the assembled governors of Bridewell <strong>and</strong> Bethiem. The<br />

quality <strong>and</strong> number of these c<strong>and</strong>idates also indicates how hotly elections were contested Al-<br />

though the appointments of Crooke, Meverall <strong>and</strong> Tyson, were essentially determined by outside<br />

authorities, <strong>and</strong> only one other c<strong>and</strong>idate is recorded, the elections won by Nurse (1648), Allen<br />

(1667) <strong>and</strong> James Monro (1728), were contested by a total of twenty doctors 34. Neither Nurse,<br />

Allen, Hale nor James Monro, were obvious choices, judging strictly by their medical experience<br />

<strong>and</strong> credentials. Nurse's opponents were all better established at the <strong>College</strong> of Physicians,<br />

<strong>and</strong> included the distinguished physician [Sir] Francis Prujean [Prigeon] <strong>and</strong> the well-patronased<br />

parliamentarian, Thomas Wharton 35 . Nurse had, himself, practised in Leicester, for about four<br />

years after obtaining a licence from Oxford <strong>University</strong> (1636), & had only been practisirig in<br />

32 CLRO Misc. MSS 58.6, 1 Nov. 1684.<br />

See Andrews, 'A respectable mad-doctor', 172-3.<br />

Nurse prevailed over 4 opponents in 1648; Allen over 6 opponents in 1667, & James Monro over 7 opponents<br />

in 1728. Unfortunately, the number of c<strong>and</strong>idates contesting the 1708 election, won by Hale, is not given in the<br />

Governors' Minutes. Only the runner-up, John Branthwait, is named. See BCGM, 13 April 1619, 21 July 1648,<br />

26 June 1667, 19 Dec. 1684, 10 Sept. 1708 & 9 'Oct. 1728, fols 110, 332, 53, 28, 439 & 163, & Andrews, 'A<br />

respectable mad-doctor', 172.<br />

Prujean had been Censor of the <strong>College</strong> (1639 & 1642-7); Registrar (1641-7); Elect (1647); &nd was to<br />

be President (1650-54); Treasurer (1655-63), <strong>and</strong> Consilariva (1656-66). Wharton had studied medicine under<br />

Cromwell's own physician, John Bathurat, & been awarded his M.D. by virtue of letters from the parliarnentas-y<br />

general, Sir Thomas Fairfax. He became CCP in Jan. 1648;, was Censor 6 times during 1658-73; became<br />

Physician to St. Thomas's in 1659, & was renowned for his work as an anatomist. The other c<strong>and</strong>idate, in 1648<br />

were the lesser known 'Dr. [Peter?J Salmon (d.1675), FCP (1639), & 'Dr. Goddard'. Whether the latter was<br />

Jonathan or William Goddard, both doctor, were better qualified than Nurse. Jonathan became FCP (1646;<br />

Anatomy Lecturer (1647); Gulstonian Lecturer (1648); CensorS times (during 1660-72); Elect (1672); & (another<br />

loyal parliamentarian, winning Cromwell's confidence), was appointed physician to the army by 1649 & continued<br />

to be patronised throughout the Protectorate. William became FCP (1634), & was Censor (1638, 1641 & 1644<br />

although he was dismissed from his Fellowship the year after the Bethlem election. See Munk, Roll, i, 185, 216,<br />

223, 255-7, & DNB, for Prujean, Wharton & Jonathan Goddard.<br />

252

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