Sir Henry Acland, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Henry Wentworth Dyke Acland, 1st Baronet, KCB
(23 August 1815 - 16 October 1900). was an English
physician
and educator.
He was born in Killerton
, Exeter
, the fourth son of Sir Thomas Acland and Lydia Elizabeth Hoare, and educated at Harrow
and at Christ Church, Oxford
. He was elected fellow of All Souls College, Oxford
, in 1840, and then studied medicine in London
and Edinburgh
. Returning to Oxford, he was appointed Lee's reader in anatomy at Christ Church in 1845, and in 1851 Radcliffe librarian and physician to the Radcliffe Infirmary
.
Seven years later he became Regius professor of medicine
, a post which he retained till 1894. He was also a curator of the university galleries and of the Bodleian Library
, and from 1858 to 1887 he represented his university on the General Medical Council
, of which he served as president from 1874 to 1887. He was created a baronet
in 1890, and ten years later he died at his house in Broad Street, Oxford
(number 40 on the site of the new Bodleian Library
building). He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society
in 1847.
Acland took a leading part in the revival of the Oxford medical school and in introducing the study of natural science into the university. As Lee's reader he began to form a collection of anatomical and physiological preparations on the plan of John Hunter
, and the establishment of the Oxford University Museum, opened in 1861, as a centre for the encouragement of the study of science, especially in relation to medicine, was largely due to his efforts. "To Henry Acland," said his lifelong friend, John Ruskin
, "physiology was an entrusted gospel of which he was the solitary preacher to the heathen," but on the other hand his thorough classical training preserved science at Oxford from too abrupt a severance from the humanities. In conjunction with Dean Liddell
, he revolutionized the study of art and archaeology, so that the cultivation of these subjects, for which, as Ruskin declared, no one at Oxford cared before that time, began to flourish in the university.
Acland was also interested in questions of public health. He served on the royal commission on sanitary laws in England and Wales in 1869, and published a study of the outbreak of cholera
at Oxford in 1854, together with various pamphlets on sanitary matters. His memoir on the topography of the Troad, with panoramic plan (1839), was among the fruits of a cruise
which he made in the Mediterranean for the sake of his health. He died on 16 October 1900 in Broad Street, London
, England.
His son, Colonel Alfred Dyke Acland
married Hon. Beatrice Danvers Smith, daughter of Rt. Hon. W. H. Smith of the Newsagents dynasty on 30 July 1885 and gained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in 1910 in the service of the Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry (Territorial Army). Another son, Theodore Dyke Acland
married the daughter of Sir William Gull, a leading London
medical practitioner and one of the Physicians-in-Ordinary to HM Queen Victoria
.
The old Acland Hospital
on the Banbury Road
in Oxford
(now part of Keble College) was founded in memory of Acland's wife, Sarah.
His daughter, Sarah Acland, subsequently lived in Park Town
and was an early pioneer of colour photography. Some of her photographs are in collection of the Museum of the History of Science in Broad Street, opposite the family home.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(23 August 1815 - 16 October 1900). was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
physician
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...
and educator.
He was born in Killerton
Killerton
Killerton is an 18th-century house in Broadclyst, Exeter, Devon, England, which, with its hillside garden and estate, has been owned by the National Trust since 1944 and is open to the public...
, Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, the fourth son of Sir Thomas Acland and Lydia Elizabeth Hoare, and educated at Harrow
Harrow College
Harrow College is the largest college in the London Borough of Harrow. It opened in 1999 following a merger of two former local colleges, Greenhill College and Weald College .Ofsted has reported the college as Outstanding for Social and Educational Inclusion...
and at Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
. He was elected fellow of All Souls College, Oxford
All Souls College, Oxford
The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....
, in 1840, and then studied medicine in 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...
and Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. Returning to Oxford, he was appointed Lee's reader in anatomy at Christ Church in 1845, and in 1851 Radcliffe librarian and physician to the Radcliffe Infirmary
Radcliffe Infirmary
The Radcliffe Infirmary was a hospital in central Oxford, England, located at the southern end of Woodstock Road on the western side, backing onto Walton Street. The Radcliffe Infirmary, named after physician John Radcliffe, opened in 1770 and was Oxford's first hospital...
.
Seven years later he became Regius professor of medicine
Regius Professor of Medicine
The title Regius Professor of Medicine, or similar, is a Regius professorship at the ancient universities of the United Kingdom — specifically Oxford, Cambridge, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dublin.-See also:* Regius Professor...
, a post which he retained till 1894. He was also a curator of the university galleries and of the Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
, and from 1858 to 1887 he represented his university on the General Medical Council
General Medical Council
The General Medical Council registers and regulates doctors practising in the United Kingdom. It has the power to revoke or restrict a doctor's registration if it deems them unfit to practise...
, of which he served as president from 1874 to 1887. He was created a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
in 1890, and ten years later he died at his house in Broad Street, Oxford
Broad Street, Oxford
Broad Street is a wide street in central Oxford, England, located just north of the old city wall.The street is known for its bookshops, including the original Blackwell's bookshop at number 50, located here due to the University...
(number 40 on the site of the new Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
building). He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
in 1847.
Acland took a leading part in the revival of the Oxford medical school and in introducing the study of natural science into the university. As Lee's reader he began to form a collection of anatomical and physiological preparations on the plan of John Hunter
John Hunter (surgeon)
John Hunter FRS was a Scottish surgeon regarded as one of the most distinguished scientists and surgeons of his day. He was an early advocate of careful observation and scientific method in medicine. The Hunterian Society of London was named in his honour...
, and the establishment of the Oxford University Museum, opened in 1861, as a centre for the encouragement of the study of science, especially in relation to medicine, was largely due to his efforts. "To Henry Acland," said his lifelong friend, John Ruskin
John Ruskin
John Ruskin was the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, also an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote on subjects ranging from geology to architecture, myth to ornithology, literature to education, and botany to political...
, "physiology was an entrusted gospel of which he was the solitary preacher to the heathen," but on the other hand his thorough classical training preserved science at Oxford from too abrupt a severance from the humanities. In conjunction with Dean Liddell
Henry Liddell
Henry George Liddell was Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, dean of Christ Church, Oxford, headmaster of Westminster School , author of A History of Rome , and co-author of the monumental work A Greek-English Lexicon, which is still used by students of Greek...
, he revolutionized the study of art and archaeology, so that the cultivation of these subjects, for which, as Ruskin declared, no one at Oxford cared before that time, began to flourish in the university.
Acland was also interested in questions of public health. He served on the royal commission on sanitary laws in England and Wales in 1869, and published a study of the outbreak of cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
at Oxford in 1854, together with various pamphlets on sanitary matters. His memoir on the topography of the Troad, with panoramic plan (1839), was among the fruits of a cruise
Cruising (maritime)
Cruising by boat is a lifestyle that involves living for extended time on a boat while traveling from place to place for pleasure. Cruising generally refers to trips of a few days or more, and can extend to round-the-world voyages.- History :...
which he made in the Mediterranean for the sake of his health. He died on 16 October 1900 in Broad Street, 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...
, England.
His son, Colonel Alfred Dyke Acland
Alfred Dyke Acland
Colonel Alfred Dyke Acland, CBE, KJStJ, JP was a British distinguished military officer.The son of Sir Henry Wentworth Acland and Sarah Cottons, he served in the Royal Devon Yeomanry reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1910. He commanded the Base Depot Remounts in 1915 and was decorated...
married Hon. Beatrice Danvers Smith, daughter of Rt. Hon. W. H. Smith of the Newsagents dynasty on 30 July 1885 and gained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in 1910 in the service of the Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry (Territorial Army). Another son, Theodore Dyke Acland
Theodore Dyke Acland
Theodore Dyke Acland MD, FRCP, FRCS was a British physician, surgeon and author and was the son-in-law of Sir William Gull, a leading London medical practitioner and one of the Physicians-in-Ordinary to HM Queen Victoria...
married the daughter of Sir William Gull, a leading 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...
medical practitioner and one of the Physicians-in-Ordinary to HM Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
.
The old Acland Hospital
Acland Hospital
The Acland Hospital was a private nursing home and hospital in central North Oxford, England, located in a prominent position at the southern end of the Banbury Road.-1878-1903:It was founded in memory of Sarah Acland The Acland Hospital (also previously known as the Acland Nursing Home, Acland...
on the Banbury Road
Banbury Road
Banbury Road is a major arterial road in Oxford, England, running from St Giles' at the south end, north towards Banbury through the leafy suburb of North Oxford and Summertown, with its local shopping centre. Parallel and to the west is the Woodstock Road, which it meets at the junction with St...
in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
(now part of Keble College) was founded in memory of Acland's wife, Sarah.
Marriage and children
He married Sarah Cotton, daughter of William Cotton and Sarah Lane, on 14 July 1846. They had seven sons and a daughter:- AdmiralAdmiralAdmiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Sir William Alison Dyke Acland, 2nd BaronetSir William Acland, 2nd BaronetAdmiral Sir William Alison Dyke Acland, 2nd Baronet CVO JP DL was a Royal Navy admiral.-Career:He rose to the rank of Admiral in the Royal Navy. He was a Deputy Lieutenant of Devon, and a Justice of the Peace for Oxfordshire and Devon...
(1847-1924) - Sarah Angelina Acland (1849-1930)
- Henry Dyke Acland (1850-1936)
- Theodore Dyke AclandTheodore Dyke AclandTheodore Dyke Acland MD, FRCP, FRCS was a British physician, surgeon and author and was the son-in-law of Sir William Gull, a leading London medical practitioner and one of the Physicians-in-Ordinary to HM Queen Victoria...
(1851-1931), the father of Theodore AclandTheodore AclandTheodore William Gull Acland ARIC was an English educationist who in later life became a clergyman of the Church of England.-Background and early life:...
(1890-1960) - Herbert Dyke Acland (1855-1877)
- Sir Reginald Brodie Dyke AclandReginald AclandSir Reginald Brodie Dyke Acland KC, JP was a British barrister and judge.-Background:He was the sixth son of Sir Henry Wentworth Acland, 1st Baronet and his wife Sarah Cotton, eldest daughter of William Cotton. His younger brother was Alfred Dyke Acland...
(1856-1924) - Francis Edward Dyke Acland (1857-1943)
- Alfred Dyke AclandAlfred Dyke AclandColonel Alfred Dyke Acland, CBE, KJStJ, JP was a British distinguished military officer.The son of Sir Henry Wentworth Acland and Sarah Cottons, he served in the Royal Devon Yeomanry reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1910. He commanded the Base Depot Remounts in 1915 and was decorated...
(1858-1937)
His daughter, Sarah Acland, subsequently lived in Park Town
Park Town, Oxford
Park Town is a small residential area in central North Oxford, a suburb of Oxford, England. It was one of the earliest planned suburban developments in the area.-History and overview:...
and was an early pioneer of colour photography. Some of her photographs are in collection of the Museum of the History of Science in Broad Street, opposite the family home.