Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Thomas Wakley

Role / Field:

Pioneering English surgeon and radical social reformer, founder of The Lancet.

Born:

1795-07-11

Died:

1862-05-16

Century / Era:

1795s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Thomas Wakley (11 July 1795 – 16 May 1862) was an English surgeon. He gained fame as a social reformer who campaigned against incompetence, privilege and nepotism. He was the founding editor of The Lancet, a radical Member of Parliament (MP) of the Liberal Party and a celebrated coroner. He was born in Membury, Devon, to a prosperous farmer, Henry Wakley (1750 – 26 August 1842), and his wife, Mary née Minifie.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

His father inherited property, leased neighbouring land and became a large farmer by the standards of the day and a government Commissioner on the Enclosure of Waste Land. He was described as a "just but severe parent" and, with his wife, had eleven children, eight sons and three daughters. Thomas was the youngest son, and attended the grammar school at Chard (now Chard School), then Taunton Grammar School. When he was eleven, he sailed on a ship captained by a family friend to Calcutta. He joined the ship on 7 March 1807 as one of six midshipmen.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He was discharged on 18 August 1808. When he returned, he attended school at Wiveliscombe, Somerset. At fifteen, he was apprenticed to a Taunton apothecary and then later to surgeons in Beaminster and Henley-on-Thames...

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Frequently Asked Questions about Thomas Wakley