Thomas Lawrence (1711–1783) was an English physician and biographer, who became
President of the Royal College of Physicians
in 1767.
Life
The second son of Captain Thomas Lawrence, R.N., by Elizabeth, daughter of Gabriel Soulden of
Southampton grammar school, and in October 1727 was entered Trinity College, Oxford as a commoner. He graduated B.A. in 1730, and M.A. in 1733.[1]
Lawrence chose medicine as profession, and moved to London, where he attended the anatomical lectures of Dr.
St. Thomas's Hospital. He graduated M.B. at Oxford, 1736, M.D. 1740, and succeeded Nicholls as anatomical reader in the university, but resided in London, where he also delivered anatomical lectures.[1]
Admitted a candidate of the
London College of Physicians in 1743, Lawrence was a fellow in 1744. After filling a number of college offices he was elected president in 1767, and was annually re-elected for seven consecutive years. After 1750, finding he had competition from William Hunter, he abandoned his lectures, and concentrated on medical practice, without great success.[1]
About 1773 Lawrence's health began to fail, and he first perceived symptoms of
angina pectoris, which continued. In 1782 he had an attack of paralysis, and in the same year moved from London to Canterbury, where he died on 6 June 1783. He was buried in St. Margaret's Church, and a tablet, with a Latin epitaph, was placed in Canterbury Cathedral.[1]
Works
Lawrence's works were all written in Latin, and were:[1]
Oratio Harvæana, London, 1748.
Hydrops, disputatio medica, London, 1756, in the form of a dialogue between
Prælectiones medicæ duodecim de calvariæ et capitis morbis, London, 1757.
De Natura Musculorum prælectiones tres, London, 1759.
Life of Harvey prefixed to the college edition of his Opera Omnia, London, 1766.
Life of Dr. Frank Nicholls, "cum conjecturis ejusdem de natura et usu partium humani corporis similarium", London, 1780, privately printed.
Family
On 25 May 1744 Lawrence was married in London to Frances Chauncy (2 January 1780), daughter of Dr. Chauncy, a physician in
alcaic ode, Ad Thomam Laurence, medicum doctissimum, cum filium peregre agentem desiderio nimis tristi prosequeretur. Lawrence had met Johnson through Richard Bathurst.[1]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Lee, Sidney, ed. (1892). "Lawrence, Thomas (1711-1783)". Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 32. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
