William Croone
Encyclopedia
William Croone was an English physician and one of the original Fellows of the Royal Society
.
on 11 December 1642. He was admitted on 13 May 1647 a pensioner of Emmanuel College, Cambridge
, graduating B.A. in 1651, and M.A. in 1654. After taking his first degree in arts, he was elected to a fellowship.
In 1659 he was chosen Gresham Professor of Rhetoric
in London, and while holding that office he promoted the institution of the Royal Society, the members of which assembled there. At their first meeting after they had formed themselves into a regular body, on 28 November 1660, he was appointed their registrar, and he continued in that office till the grant of their charter, by which John Wilkins
and Henry Oldenburg
were nominated joint secretaries. On 7 October 1662 he was created doctor of medicine at Cambridge by royal mandate. He was chosen one of the first fellows of the Royal Society on 20 May 1663, after the grant of their charter, and he frequently sat upon the council. On 25 June the same year he was admitted a candidate of the College of Physicians
. In 1665 he visited France, where he became acquainted with several learned and eminent men.
The Company of Surgeons appointed him, on 28 August 1670, their anatomy lecturer on the muscles, in succession to Sir Charles Scarborough, and he held that office till his death. Soon after his appointment to it he resigned his professorship at Gresham College. On 29 July 1675, after having waited twelve years for a vacancy, he was admitted a fellow of the College of Physicians. He acquired an extensive and lucrative practice in the latter part of his life. He died on 12 October 1684, and was buried in St Mildred, Poultry
. His funeral sermon was preached by John Scott, D.D., canon of Windsor, and published.
s be given. Croone left behind him a plan for two lectureships: one lecture was to be read before the College of Physicians, with a sermon to be preached at the church of St. Mary-le-Bow, the other to be delivered yearly before the Royal Society upon the nature and laws of muscular motion. But as his will contained no provision for the endowment of these lectures, his widow carried out his intention by devising in her will the King's Head Tavern in Lambeth Hill, Knightrider Street, in trust to her executors to settle four parts out of five pon the College of Physicians to found the annual lecture now called the Croonian lecture; and the fifth part on the Royal Society. Lady Sadleir (as she became) also, out of regard for the memory of her first husband, provided for the establishment of the algebra lectures which were afterwards founded at some colleges at Cambridge.
, and died on 30 September 1706.
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"...
.
Life
He was born in London on 15 September 1633, and admitted to Merchant Taylors' SchoolMerchant Taylors' School, Northwood
Merchant Taylors' School is a British independent day school for boys, originally located in the City of London. Since 1933 it has been located at Sandy Lodge in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire ....
on 11 December 1642. He was admitted on 13 May 1647 a pensioner of Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
, graduating B.A. in 1651, and M.A. in 1654. After taking his first degree in arts, he was elected to a fellowship.
In 1659 he was chosen Gresham Professor of Rhetoric
Gresham Professor of Rhetoric
The Professor of Rhetoric at Gresham College, London, gives free educational lectures to the general public. The college was founded for this purpose in 1596 / 7, when it appointed seven professors; this has since increased to eight and in addition the college now has visiting professors.The...
in London, and while holding that office he promoted the institution of the Royal Society, the members of which assembled there. At their first meeting after they had formed themselves into a regular body, on 28 November 1660, he was appointed their registrar, and he continued in that office till the grant of their charter, by which John Wilkins
John Wilkins
John Wilkins FRS was an English clergyman, natural philosopher and author, as well as a founder of the Invisible College and one of the founders of the Royal Society, and Bishop of Chester from 1668 until his death....
and Henry Oldenburg
Henry Oldenburg
Henry Oldenburg was a German theologian known as a diplomat and a natural philosopher. He was one of the foremost intelligencers of Europe of the seventeenth century, with a network of correspondents to rival those of Fabri de Peiresc, Marin Mersenne and Ismaël Boulliau...
were nominated joint secretaries. On 7 October 1662 he was created doctor of medicine at Cambridge by royal mandate. He was chosen one of the first fellows of the Royal Society on 20 May 1663, after the grant of their charter, and he frequently sat upon the council. On 25 June the same year he was admitted a candidate of the College of Physicians
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
. In 1665 he visited France, where he became acquainted with several learned and eminent men.
The Company of Surgeons appointed him, on 28 August 1670, their anatomy lecturer on the muscles, in succession to Sir Charles Scarborough, and he held that office till his death. Soon after his appointment to it he resigned his professorship at Gresham College. On 29 July 1675, after having waited twelve years for a vacancy, he was admitted a fellow of the College of Physicians. He acquired an extensive and lucrative practice in the latter part of his life. He died on 12 October 1684, and was buried in St Mildred, Poultry
St Mildred, Poultry
St Mildred, Poultry was a parish church in the Cheap ward, of the City of London. It was rebuilt after the Great Fire of London and demolished in 1872.-History:...
. His funeral sermon was preached by John Scott, D.D., canon of Windsor, and published.
Works
He published ‘De ratione motus Musculorum,’ London, 1664, snd Amsterdam, 1667; and read papers to the Royal Society, including ‘A Discourse on the Conformation of a Chick in the Egg before Incubation’ (28 March 1671). Dr. Goodall states that Croone ‘had made most ingenious and excellent observations de ovo, long before Malpighius's book upon that subject was extant.’Legacy
He was the founder of the Croonian LectureCroonian Lecture
The Croonian Lectures are prestigious lectureships given at the invitation of the Royal Society and the Royal College of Physicians.Among the papers of William Croone at his death in 1684, was a plan to endow one lectureship at both the Royal Society and the Royal College of Physicians...
s be given. Croone left behind him a plan for two lectureships: one lecture was to be read before the College of Physicians, with a sermon to be preached at the church of St. Mary-le-Bow, the other to be delivered yearly before the Royal Society upon the nature and laws of muscular motion. But as his will contained no provision for the endowment of these lectures, his widow carried out his intention by devising in her will the King's Head Tavern in Lambeth Hill, Knightrider Street, in trust to her executors to settle four parts out of five pon the College of Physicians to found the annual lecture now called the Croonian lecture; and the fifth part on the Royal Society. Lady Sadleir (as she became) also, out of regard for the memory of her first husband, provided for the establishment of the algebra lectures which were afterwards founded at some colleges at Cambridge.
Family
He married Mary, daughter of Alderman John Lorymer of London. She afterwards became the wife of Sir Edwin Sadleir, bart., of Temple Dinsley, HertfordshireHertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, and died on 30 September 1706.
External links
- http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/heritage/munksroll/munk_details.asp?ID=5056