Simeon Fox
Encyclopedia
Simeon Fox M.D. (1568–1642) was an English physician, who became President of the College of Physicians.
, and was born in the house of the Duke of Norfolk
. He was educated at Eton College
, and on 24 August 1583 was elected a scholar of King's College, Cambridge
, where he proceeded B.A. in 1587, having become a fellow 24 August 1586. He graduated M.A. in 1591.
Bishop John Piers
promised him a prebend, but he preferred to study medicine. After leaving college he resided for some time with Archbishop John Whitgift
, then visited Italy, and took the degree of M.D. at the University of Padua
. On his return home he engaged in military service, and was with Sir John Norris
and the Earl of Southampton
in Ireland and the Netherlands. In the Low Countries he is said to have been taken prisoner and detained for a time at Dunkirk.
He reached London in 1603, and began to practise medecine, attaining prominence in his profession. He was admitted a candidate of the College of Physicians on 30 September 1605, and a fellow on 25 June 1608. He was censor in 1614, 1620, 1621, 1623, 1624, 1625, 1631, and 1632; registrar on 20 November 1627, on the death of Dr. Matthew Gwinne
; treasurer on 3 December 1629, on William Harvey
's resignation of that office; anatomy reader, 1630; elect, 22 December 1630, in place of the late Thomas Moundeford; president from 1634 to 1640; consiliarius in 1641.
He died at the college house at Amen Corner
, Paternoster Row
, on 20 April 1642. In his will, dated 21 Oct. 1641, proved by his nephew, Thomas Fox, he described himself as of the parish of St Martin Ludgate, London, and desired to be buried St Paul's Cathedral
, near to the monument of Thomas Linacre
; bequeathing the sum of £20 to the Cathedral. He was buried according to his directions on 24 April.
of 1666, as was his monument in St. Paul's. His portrait in the college was one of two pictures rescued from the fire, but then disappeared.
He attended John Donne
, Dean of St Paul's
, and contributed liberally towards the erection of a monument to his memory. In Harleian MS. 416 (ff. 203b, 210, 214) are three Latin letters of Fox, two of which are addressed to his father and brother Samuel respectively. The life of his father prefixed to the second volume of the 1641 edition of the Actes and Monuments, long attributed to his brother Samuel, has also been assigned, on weak grounds, to Simeon himself.
Life
He was the youngest son of John FoxeJohn Foxe
John Foxe was an English historian and martyrologist, the author of what is popularly known as Foxe's Book of Martyrs, , an account of Christian martyrs throughout Western history but emphasizing the sufferings of English Protestants and proto-Protestants from the fourteenth century through the...
, and was born in the house of the Duke of Norfolk
Duke of Norfolk
The Duke of Norfolk is the premier duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the premier earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and hereditary Marshal of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the...
. He was educated 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"....
, and on 24 August 1583 was elected a 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 proceeded B.A. in 1587, having become a fellow 24 August 1586. He graduated M.A. in 1591.
Bishop John Piers
John Piers
John Piers was Archbishop of York between 1589–1594. Previous to that he had been Bishop of Rochester and Bishop of Salisbury.-Life:...
promised him a prebend, but he preferred to study medicine. After leaving college he resided for some time with Archbishop John Whitgift
John Whitgift
John Whitgift was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1583 to his death. Noted for his hospitality, he was somewhat ostentatious in his habits, sometimes visiting Canterbury and other towns attended by a retinue of 800 horsemen...
, then visited Italy, and took the degree of M.D. at the University of Padua
University of Padua
The University of Padua is a premier Italian university located in the city of Padua, Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 as a school of law and was one of the most prominent universities in early modern Europe. It is among the earliest universities of the world and the second...
. On his return home he engaged in military service, and was with Sir John Norris
John Norreys
Sir John Norreys , also frequently spelt John Norris, was an English soldier of a Berkshire family of court gentry, the son of Henry Norris, 1st Baron Norreys a lifelong friend of Queen Elizabeth....
and the Earl of Southampton
Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton
Henry Wriothesley , 3rd Earl of Southampton , was the second son of Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton, and his wife Mary Browne, Countess of Southampton, daughter of the 1st Viscount Montagu...
in Ireland and the Netherlands. In the Low Countries he is said to have been taken prisoner and detained for a time at Dunkirk.
He reached London in 1603, and began to practise medecine, attaining prominence in his profession. He was admitted a candidate of the College of Physicians on 30 September 1605, and a fellow on 25 June 1608. He was censor in 1614, 1620, 1621, 1623, 1624, 1625, 1631, and 1632; registrar on 20 November 1627, on the death of Dr. Matthew Gwinne
Matthew Gwinne
-Life:He was of Welsh descent, son of Edward Gwinne, grocer, and was born in London. On 28 April 1570 he entered Merchant Taylors' School. He was elected to a scholarship at St. John's College, Oxford, in 1574, and afterwards became a fellow there. He proceeded B.A. 14 May 1578, and M.A. 4 May 1582...
; treasurer on 3 December 1629, on William Harvey
William Harvey
William Harvey was an English physician who was the first person to describe completely and in detail the systemic circulation and properties of blood being pumped to the body by the heart...
's resignation of that office; anatomy reader, 1630; elect, 22 December 1630, in place of the late Thomas Moundeford; president from 1634 to 1640; consiliarius in 1641.
He died at the college house at Amen Corner
Amen Corner
Amen Corner may refer to:*Amen Corner , 1960s British pop group*Amen Corner , 1983 musical*Amen Corner , novel by Rick Shefchik*The Amen Corner, 1954 play by James Baldwin...
, Paternoster Row
Paternoster Row
Paternoster Row was a London street in which clergy of the medieval St Paul's Cathedral would walk, chanting the Lord's Prayer . It was devastated by aerial bombardment in The Blitz during World War II. Prior to this destruction the area had been a centre of the London publishing trade , with...
, on 20 April 1642. In his will, dated 21 Oct. 1641, proved by his nephew, Thomas Fox, he described himself as of the parish of St Martin Ludgate, London, and desired to be buried St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
, near to the monument of Thomas Linacre
Thomas Linacre
Thomas Linacre was a humanist scholar and physician, after whom Linacre College, Oxford and Linacre House The King's School, Canterbury are named....
; bequeathing the sum of £20 to the Cathedral. He was buried according to his directions on 24 April.
Legacy
He also bequeathed to the college £40, to which his nephew added another £60. In 1656 the college, on the proposition of Baldwin Hamey, voted the erection of a marble bust to his memory in the Harveian Museum; the statue was destroyed in the Great Fire of LondonGreat Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
of 1666, as was his monument in St. Paul's. His portrait in the college was one of two pictures rescued from the fire, but then disappeared.
He attended John Donne
John Donne
John Donne 31 March 1631), English poet, satirist, lawyer, and priest, is now considered the preeminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are notable for their strong and sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs,...
, Dean of St Paul's
Dean of St Paul's
The Dean of St Paul's is the head of the Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral in London, England in the Church of England. The most recent Dean, Graeme Knowles, formerly Bishop of Sodor and Man, was installed on 1 October 2007 and resigned on 31 October 2011...
, and contributed liberally towards the erection of a monument to his memory. In Harleian MS. 416 (ff. 203b, 210, 214) are three Latin letters of Fox, two of which are addressed to his father and brother Samuel respectively. The life of his father prefixed to the second volume of the 1641 edition of the Actes and Monuments, long attributed to his brother Samuel, has also been assigned, on weak grounds, to Simeon himself.