William Overend Priestley
Encyclopedia
Sir William Overend Priestley (1829–1900) was a physician and Member of Parliament
(MP) for Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities (UK Parliament constituency)
from 1896 to 1900.
Priestley was born in Leeds and trained in Edinburgh
as an obstetrician and gynecologist. He moved to London in 1856, became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
, and was knighted in 1893 in recognition of his medical services.
) and Mary, daughter of James Overend of Morley, he was born at Morley Hall, near Leeds
, on 24 June 1829. He was educated at Leeds, King's College, London, Paris, and the University of Edinburgh
. He was admitted a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1852, and in 1853 he graduated M.D. at Edinburgh, taking as his thesis ‘The Development of the Gravid Uterus.’ (awarded Professor Simpson's gold medal and the senate gold medal).
Priestley acted as the private assistant of Sir James Young Simpson for some time after his graduation, but in 1856 he came to London and gave lectures at the Grosvenor Place School of Medicine. In 1858 he was appointed lecturer on midwifery
at the Middlesex Hospital
, and in 1862 he was elected professor of obstetric medicine at King's College, London, and obstetric physician to King's College Hospital
, in the place of Arthur Farre
. These posts he resigned in 1872, and he was then appointed consulting obstetric physician to the hospital, becoming an honorary fellow of King's College and a member of the council.
Priestley was admitted a member of the Royal College of Physicians of London in 1859, and was chosen a fellow in 1864, serving as a member of the council 1878–80, Lumleian lecturer in 1887, and censor 1891–2. He became a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh in 1858, and from 1866 to 1876 he was an examiner in midwifery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He was also at different times an examiner at the Royal College of Physicians of London and at the universities of Cambridge, London, and Victoria. He was president of the Obstetrical Society of London 1875–6, and was a vice-president of the Medical Society of Paris. He was a physician-accoucheur to H.R.H. Princess Louis of Hesse (Alice of England), and to Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him by the university of Edinburgh in 1884, and in 1893 he was knighted.
Early in his career he was attracted to politics in connection with professional subjects, and on 12 May 1896 he was elected without opposition parliamentary representative of the universities of Edinburgh and St. Andrews in the conservative interest, on the elevation of Sir Charles Pearson to the Scottish bench.
He died in London on 11 April 1900, and was buried at Warnham
, near Westbrook Hall, his estate in Sussex
. Priestley married, on 17 April 1856, Eliza, the fourth daughter of Robert Chambers, by whom he had two sons and two daughters.
He also edited, with Horatio Robinson Storer, the Obstetric Writings and Contributions of Sir James Y. Simpson, Edinburgh, 1855–6, 2 vols.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities was a university constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1868 until 1918. It was merged with the Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities constituency to form the Combined Scottish Universities...
from 1896 to 1900.
Priestley was born in Leeds and trained in 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...
as an obstetrician and gynecologist. He moved to London in 1856, became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh was established in the 17th century. While the RCPE is based in Edinburgh, it is by no means just a Scottish professional body - more than half of its 7,700 Fellows, Members, Associates and Affiliates live and practice medicine outside Scotland, in 86...
, and was knighted in 1893 in recognition of his medical services.
Life
The eldest son of Joseph Priestley (the nephew of natural philosopher Joseph PriestleyJoseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley, FRS was an 18th-century English theologian, Dissenting clergyman, natural philosopher, chemist, educator, and political theorist who published over 150 works...
) and Mary, daughter of James Overend of Morley, he was born at Morley Hall, near Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, on 24 June 1829. He was educated at Leeds, King's College, London, Paris, and the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
. He was admitted a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1852, and in 1853 he graduated M.D. at Edinburgh, taking as his thesis ‘The Development of the Gravid Uterus.’ (awarded Professor Simpson's gold medal and the senate gold medal).
Priestley acted as the private assistant of Sir James Young Simpson for some time after his graduation, but in 1856 he came to London and gave lectures at the Grosvenor Place School of Medicine. In 1858 he was appointed lecturer on midwifery
Midwifery
Midwifery is a health care profession in which providers offer care to childbearing women during pregnancy, labour and birth, and during the postpartum period. They also help care for the newborn and assist the mother with breastfeeding....
at the Middlesex Hospital
Middlesex Hospital
The Middlesex Hospital was a teaching hospital located in the Fitzrovia area of London, United Kingdom. First opened in 1745 on Windmill Street, it was moved in 1757 to Mortimer Street where it remained until it was finally closed in 2005. Its staff and services were transferred to various sites...
, and in 1862 he was elected professor of obstetric medicine at King's College, London, and obstetric physician to King's College Hospital
King's College Hospital
King's College Hospital is an acute care facility in the London Borough of Lambeth, referred to locally and by staff simply as "King's" or abbreviated internally to "KCH"...
, in the place of Arthur Farre
Arthur Farre
Arthur Farre , was an English obstetric physician.-Life:Farre was the younger son of Dr. John Richard Farre of Charterhouse Square, London. He was born in London on 6 March 1811. He was educated at Charterhouse School and at Caius College, Cambridge. After studying medicine at St. Bartholomew's...
. These posts he resigned in 1872, and he was then appointed consulting obstetric physician to the hospital, becoming an honorary fellow of King's College and a member of the council.
Priestley was admitted a member of the Royal College of Physicians of London in 1859, and was chosen a fellow in 1864, serving as a member of the council 1878–80, Lumleian lecturer in 1887, and censor 1891–2. He became a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh in 1858, and from 1866 to 1876 he was an examiner in midwifery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He was also at different times an examiner at the Royal College of Physicians of London and at the universities of Cambridge, London, and Victoria. He was president of the Obstetrical Society of London 1875–6, and was a vice-president of the Medical Society of Paris. He was a physician-accoucheur to H.R.H. Princess Louis of Hesse (Alice of England), and to Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him by the university of Edinburgh in 1884, and in 1893 he was knighted.
Early in his career he was attracted to politics in connection with professional subjects, and on 12 May 1896 he was elected without opposition parliamentary representative of the universities of Edinburgh and St. Andrews in the conservative interest, on the elevation of Sir Charles Pearson to the Scottish bench.
He died in London on 11 April 1900, and was buried at Warnham
Warnham
Warnham is a village and civil parish in the Horsham district of West Sussex, England. The village is some three kilometres north west of central Horsham to the west of the A24 road...
, near Westbrook Hall, his estate in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. Priestley married, on 17 April 1856, Eliza, the fourth daughter of Robert Chambers, by whom he had two sons and two daughters.
Works
Priestley's works were:- Lecture on the Development of the Gravid Uterus, London, 1860.
- The Pathology of Intra-uterine Death, being the Lumleian Lectures delivered at the Royal College of Physicians of London, March 1887, London, 1887.
He also edited, with Horatio Robinson Storer, the Obstetric Writings and Contributions of Sir James Y. Simpson, Edinburgh, 1855–6, 2 vols.