Robert Glynn
Encyclopedia
Robert Glynn, afterwards Clobery (1719–1800) was an English physician
, known as a generous eccentric.
parish, near Bodmin
, Cornwall
, who married Lucy, daughter of John Clobery of Bradstone
, Devon
, was born at Brodes on 5 Aug. and baptised at Helland Church on 16 September 1719. After some teaching from a curate named Whiston, he was placed on the foundation at Eton College
. In 1737 he was elected scholar of King's College, Cambridge
, where he took the degrees of B.A. 1741, M.A. 1745, and M.D. 1752, and became a Fellow. His medical tutor at Cambridge
was the elder William Heberden
of St John's College. Glynn himself announced in March 1751 a course of lectures at King's College on the medical institutes, and next year gave a second course on anatomy
. For a short time he practised at Richmond, Surrey, but soon returned to Cambridge, and never again left the university.
On 5 April 1762 he was admitted a candidate, and on 28 March 1763 became a fellow, of the College of Physicians at London
. William Pitt the Younger
, whom he had attended in the autumn of 1773, offered him in 1793 the professorial chair of medicine at Cambridge, which Glynn refused. He was at the close of his life the acknowledged local head of his profession, and his medical services were in great repute at Ely
, where he attended every week.
Late in life Glynn inherited a considerable property from a maternal uncle, and with it took the name of Clobery. He died at his rooms in King's College, Cambridge, on 6 February 1800, and, according to his own direction, was buried in the vault of the college chapel by torchlight, between the hours of ten and eleven at night on 13 February, in the presence of members of the college only. A tablet to his memory was placed in King's College Chapel, in a small oratory
on the right hand after entering its south door.
, M.D., a particular friend. The college received a legacy in stock; it was mainly expended on buildings erected under superintendence of William Wilkins
the architect around 1825-30; with a prize of £20 a year divided between two scholars. To the Rev. Thomas Kerrich
of Magdalene College, Cambridge
, his friend and executor, he bequeathed £5,000. His portrait was drawn by Kerrich, and engraved by J. G. and G. S. Facius in 1783. His library was sold in 1800.
describes him as usually wearing 'a scarlet cloak and three-cornered hat; he carried a gold-headed cane. He also used patten
s in rainy weather.' Another contemporary, Sir Egerton Brydges, records the doctor's pride "on saying whatever came uppermost into his mind". His tea parties were famous, and frequented by many undergraduates. As a physician he showed judgment and attention, but with characteristic eccentricity he almost invariably ordered a blister. He resolutely refrained from prescribing opium
, cathartic
s, or bleeding
. He recommended and practised an open air life.
He was friendly with William Mason
, and attended Thomas Gray
in his last illness; Glynn's initial noncommittal diagnosis of "gout of the stomach" missed terminal uremia
. He returned with Russell Plumptre, the Regius Professor of Physic
, a medical associate and friend, but could do nothing. Richard Watson was one of his patients in 1781, when he gave his opinion that recovery was hopeless; Watson lived on to 1816. He gave free advice to patients from the Fens, and would take no fees from Cornishmen or Etonians. His kindness to one of his poor patients was celebrated by a younger son of Henry Plumptre, president of Queens' College
, in verses called Benevolus and the Magpie. An anecdote imputing inhumanity to him is in Samuel Parr
's Works.
Three letters from Glynn to George Hardinge
are in John Nichols
's Illustrations of Literature. William Wadd
in his Nugæ Chirurgicæ quotes a poetical jeu d'esprit on Glynn as a physician. Horace Walpole called him in 1792 'an old doting physician and Chattertonian at Cambridge,' and professed to believe that some falsehoods current about himself had been invented or disseminated by Glynn.
out of dislike for a certain Bally, who gained the same prize in 1756 and 1758; it was insinuated that he was not the author of his own poem. His poem of The Day of Judgement was printed at Cambridge in 1757, 2nd edit. 1757, 3rd edit. 1758, and again in 1800. It was included in the various impressions of the Musæ Seatonianæ, Richard Alfred Davenport's Poets, vol. lviii., Thomas Park's Poets, vol. xxxiii., and in similar publications. Some stanzas by him beginning "Tease me no more" appeared in the General Evening Post, 23 April 1789, and were reprinted in the Poetical Register for 1802, and Henry John Wale
's My Grandfather's Pocket-Book.
, and his faith was confirmed by a visit to Bristol
in 1778. The Latin letter introduced by William Barrett into his history of Bristol is said to have been written by Glynn, and on Barrett's death the original forgeries by Chatterton were presented to him. Glynn bequeathed them to the British Museum
, where they are now known as Addit. MSS. 5766, A, B, and C. He had a bitter quarrel with George Steevens
over these manuscripts. Glynn is said to have given scholarly input to the essay by Thomas James Mathias
in the Chatterton controversy, and he is referred to with respect in Mathias's Pursuits of Literature. Gilbert Wakefield
used to say (according to Samuel Rogers
) that both Thomas Rennell
and Glynn assisted Mathias in this satire.
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, known as a generous eccentric.
Life
Glynn was the eldest and only surviving son of Robert Glynn of Brodes in HellandHelland
Helland is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated 2½ miles north of Bodmin. The meaning of the name Helland is unclear: it is possible that the origin is in Cornish hen & lan...
parish, near Bodmin
Bodmin
Bodmin is a civil parish and major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in the centre of the county southwest of Bodmin Moor.The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, who married Lucy, daughter of John Clobery of Bradstone
Bradstone
Bradstone is a village in Devon, England, on the River Tamar. It has a small church and a Tudor hall with an attractive gatehouse....
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, was born at Brodes on 5 Aug. and baptised at Helland Church on 16 September 1719. After some teaching from a curate named Whiston, he was placed on the foundation at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
. In 1737 he was elected scholar of King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
, where he took the degrees of B.A. 1741, M.A. 1745, and M.D. 1752, and became a Fellow. His medical tutor at Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
was the elder William Heberden
William Heberden
William Heberden , English physician, was born in London, where he received the early part of his education.At the end of 1724 he was sent to St John's College, Cambridge, where he obtained a fellowship, around 1730, became master of arts in 1732, and took the degree of MD in 1739...
of St John's College. Glynn himself announced in March 1751 a course of lectures at King's College on the medical institutes, and next year gave a second course on anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
. For a short time he practised at Richmond, Surrey, but soon returned to Cambridge, and never again left the university.
On 5 April 1762 he was admitted a candidate, and on 28 March 1763 became a fellow, of the College of Physicians at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
, whom he had attended in the autumn of 1773, offered him in 1793 the professorial chair of medicine at Cambridge, which Glynn refused. He was at the close of his life the acknowledged local head of his profession, and his medical services were in great repute at Ely
Ely, Cambridgeshire
Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens...
, where he attended every week.
Late in life Glynn inherited a considerable property from a maternal uncle, and with it took the name of Clobery. He died at his rooms in King's College, Cambridge, on 6 February 1800, and, according to his own direction, was buried in the vault of the college chapel by torchlight, between the hours of ten and eleven at night on 13 February, in the presence of members of the college only. A tablet to his memory was placed in King's College Chapel, in a small oratory
Oratory
Oratory is a type of public speaking.Oratory may also refer to:* Oratory , a power metal band* Oratory , a place of worship* a religious order such as** Oratory of Saint Philip Neri ** Oratory of Jesus...
on the right hand after entering its south door.
Legacy
Though he was in good practice and lived economically as a fellow, he was generous rather than rich. He left his lands in Holland to the Rev. John Henry Jacob, sometime a fellow of King's College, and son of John Jacob of SalisburySalisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, M.D., a particular friend. The college received a legacy in stock; it was mainly expended on buildings erected under superintendence of William Wilkins
William Wilkins (architect)
William Wilkins RA was an English architect, classical scholar and archaeologist. He designed the National Gallery and University College in London, and buildings for several Cambridge colleges.-Life:...
the architect around 1825-30; with a prize of £20 a year divided between two scholars. To the Rev. Thomas Kerrich
Thomas Kerrich
Thomas Kerrich was a clergyman, principal Cambridge University librarian , antiquary, draughtsman and gifted amateur artist. He created one of the first catalogue raisonnés ....
of Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary Magdalene...
, his friend and executor, he bequeathed £5,000. His portrait was drawn by Kerrich, and engraved by J. G. and G. S. Facius in 1783. His library was sold in 1800.
Reputation
Glynn was eccentric in manner and dress. George PrymeGeorge Pryme
George Pryme was a British economist, academic and politician.Pryme was born in 1781 in Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire, the only surviving child of merchant Christopher Pryme and his wife, Alice Dinsdale...
describes him as usually wearing 'a scarlet cloak and three-cornered hat; he carried a gold-headed cane. He also used patten
Patten (shoe)
Pattens are protective overshoes worn in Europe from the Middle Ages until the early 20th century. Pattens were worn outdoors over a normal shoe, held in place by leather or cloth bands, with a wooden or later wood and metal sole...
s in rainy weather.' Another contemporary, Sir Egerton Brydges, records the doctor's pride "on saying whatever came uppermost into his mind". His tea parties were famous, and frequented by many undergraduates. As a physician he showed judgment and attention, but with characteristic eccentricity he almost invariably ordered a blister. He resolutely refrained from prescribing opium
Opium
Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...
, cathartic
Cathartic
In medicine, a cathartic is a substance that accelerates defecation. This is in contrast to a laxative, which is a substance which eases defecation, usually by softening feces. It is possible for a substance to be both a laxative and a cathartic...
s, or bleeding
Bloodletting
Bloodletting is the withdrawal of often little quantities of blood from a patient to cure or prevent illness and disease. Bloodletting was based on an ancient system of medicine in which blood and other bodily fluid were considered to be "humors" the proper balance of which maintained health...
. He recommended and practised an open air life.
He was friendly with William Mason
William Mason (poet)
William Mason was an English poet, editor and gardener.He was born in Hull and educated at Hull Grammar School and St John's College, Cambridge. He was ordained in 1754 and held a number of posts in the church....
, and attended Thomas Gray
Thomas Gray
Thomas Gray was a poet, letter-writer, classical scholar and professor at Cambridge University.-Early life and education:...
in his last illness; Glynn's initial noncommittal diagnosis of "gout of the stomach" missed terminal uremia
Uremia
Uremia or uraemia is a term used to loosely describe the illness accompanying kidney failure , in particular the nitrogenous waste products associated with the failure of this organ....
. He returned with Russell Plumptre, the Regius Professor of Physic
Regius Professor of Physic (Cambridge)
The Regius Professorship of Physic is one of the oldest professorships at the University of Cambridge, founded by Henry VIII in 1540. "Physic" is an old word for medicine, , not physics.-Regius Professors of Physic:...
, a medical associate and friend, but could do nothing. Richard Watson was one of his patients in 1781, when he gave his opinion that recovery was hopeless; Watson lived on to 1816. He gave free advice to patients from the Fens, and would take no fees from Cornishmen or Etonians. His kindness to one of his poor patients was celebrated by a younger son of Henry Plumptre, president of Queens' College
Queens' College, Cambridge
Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou , and refounded in 1465 by Elizabeth Woodville...
, in verses called Benevolus and the Magpie. An anecdote imputing inhumanity to him is in Samuel Parr
Samuel Parr
Samuel Parr , was an English schoolmaster, writer, minister and Doctor of Law. He was known in his time for political writing, and as "the Whig Johnson", though his reputation has lasted less well that Samuel Johnson's, and the resemblances were at a superficial level, Parr being no prose stylist,...
's Works.
Three letters from Glynn to George Hardinge
George Hardinge
-Life:He was born on 22 June 1743 at Canbury, a manorhouse in Kingston upon Thames. He was the third but eldest surviving son of Nicholas Hardinge, by his wife Jane, daughter of Sir John Pratt. He was educated by Woodeson, a Kingston schoolmaster, and at Eton College under Edward Barnard.Hardinge...
are in John Nichols
John Nichols (printer)
John Nichols was an English printer, author and antiquary.-Early life and apprenticeship:He was born in Islington, London to Edward Nichols and Anne Wilmot. On 22 June 1766 he married Anne Cradock daughter of William Cradock...
's Illustrations of Literature. William Wadd
William Wadd
William Wadd was a 19th century British surgeon and medical author.Wadd, the eldest son of Solomon Wadd , a surgeon, who lived and practised for more than half a century in Basinghall Street, London, was born on 1776, and was entered at Merchant Taylor’s school late in 1784...
in his Nugæ Chirurgicæ quotes a poetical jeu d'esprit on Glynn as a physician. Horace Walpole called him in 1792 'an old doting physician and Chattertonian at Cambridge,' and professed to believe that some falsehoods current about himself had been invented or disseminated by Glynn.
Verse
In 1757 he competed successfully for the Seatonian PrizeSeatonian Prize
The Seatonian Prize is awarded by the University of Cambridge for the best English poem on a sacred subject, and is open to any Master of Arts of the university. Seaton, and his prize, is referred to in the poem of George Gordon, Lord Byron 'English Bards and Scots Reviewers' 1809.- Founding :It...
out of dislike for a certain Bally, who gained the same prize in 1756 and 1758; it was insinuated that he was not the author of his own poem. His poem of The Day of Judgement was printed at Cambridge in 1757, 2nd edit. 1757, 3rd edit. 1758, and again in 1800. It was included in the various impressions of the Musæ Seatonianæ, Richard Alfred Davenport's Poets, vol. lviii., Thomas Park's Poets, vol. xxxiii., and in similar publications. Some stanzas by him beginning "Tease me no more" appeared in the General Evening Post, 23 April 1789, and were reprinted in the Poetical Register for 1802, and Henry John Wale
Henry John Wale
Henry John Wale was an English author, soldier and church minister. He came from Little Shelford near Cambridge and was the son of General Sir Charles Wale. He served in the Crimea....
's My Grandfather's Pocket-Book.
On Chatterton
He believed in the authenticity of the forged "Rowley poems" published by Thomas ChattertonThomas Chatterton
Thomas Chatterton was an English poet and forger of pseudo-medieval poetry. He died of arsenic poisoning, either from a suicide attempt or self-medication for a venereal disease.-Childhood:...
, and his faith was confirmed by a visit to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
in 1778. The Latin letter introduced by William Barrett into his history of Bristol is said to have been written by Glynn, and on Barrett's death the original forgeries by Chatterton were presented to him. Glynn bequeathed them to the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, where they are now known as Addit. MSS. 5766, A, B, and C. He had a bitter quarrel with George Steevens
George Steevens
George Steevens was an English Shakespearean commentator.He was born at Poplar, the son of a captain and later director of the East India Company. He was educated at Eton College and at King's College, Cambridge, where he remained from 1753 to 1756...
over these manuscripts. Glynn is said to have given scholarly input to the essay by Thomas James Mathias
Thomas James Mathias
Thomas James Mathias, FRS was a British satirist and scholar.Mathias was educated in Kingston upon Thames and Trinity College, Cambridge...
in the Chatterton controversy, and he is referred to with respect in Mathias's Pursuits of Literature. Gilbert Wakefield
Gilbert Wakefield
Gilbert Wakefield was an English scholar and controversialist.Gilbert Wakefield was the third son of the Rev. George Wakefield, then rector of St Nicholas' Church, Nottingham but afterwards at Kingston-upon-Thames. He was educated at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. as second...
used to say (according to Samuel Rogers
Samuel Rogers
Samuel Rogers was an English poet, during his lifetime one of the most celebrated, although his fame has long since been eclipsed by his Romantic colleagues and friends Wordsworth, Coleridge and Byron...
) that both Thomas Rennell
Thomas Rennell
Thomas Kennell FRS was an English churchman, dean of Winchester Cathedral and Master of the Temple.-Life:He was born on 8 February 1754 at Barnack in Northamptonshire, where his father, Thomas Rennell , a prebendary of Winchester, was rector. In 1766 Thomas was sent to Eton, and thence proceeded...
and Glynn assisted Mathias in this satire.