Benjamin Hoadly (1706–1757) was an English physician, known also as a dramatist. William Hogarth - Dr Benjamin Hoadly, MD - Google Art Project

Life

The son of

Benjamin Hoadly Benjamin Hoadly (14 November 1676 – 17 April 1761) was an English clergyman, who was successively Bishop of Bangor, of Hereford, of Salisbury, and finally of Winchester. He is best known as the initiator of the Bangorian Controversy. ...

bishop of Winchester The Bishop of Winchester is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Winchester in the Church of England. The bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire. The Bishop of Winchester has always held ''ex officio'' (except dur ...

, he was born on 10 February 1706 in Broad Street, London. He was sent to Newcome's academy at Hackney, and then to

Corpus Christi College, Cambridge Corpus Christi College (full name: "The College of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary", often shortened to "Corpus"), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. From the late 14th century through to the early 19th century ...

, where he was admitted on 8 April 1722. He read mathematics, and attended the lectures of

Nicholas Saunderson Nicholas Saunderson (20 January 1682 – 19 April 1739) was a blind English scientist and mathematician. According to one historian of statistics, he may have been the earliest discoverer of Bayes' theorem. He worked as Lucasian Professor of ...

. He graduated M.B. 1727, and M.D. April 1728, having already been elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathematic ...

. He was registrar of Hereford while his father was bishop there (1721–4). Hoadly settled in London, and was elected a fellow of the

Royal College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of physicians by examination. Founded by royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1 ...

29 December 1736. In the following spring he delivered the Gulstonian lectures on the organs of respiration, which were printed. In 1739 he was elected censor, and in 1742 delivered a commonplace Harveian oration, which was printed. On 9 June 1742 he was made physician to the king's household, and on 4 January 1746 physician to the household of

Frederick, Prince of Wales Frederick, Prince of Wales, (Frederick Louis, ; 31 January 170731 March 1751), was the eldest son and heir apparent of King George II of Great Britain. He grew estranged from his parents, King George and Queen Caroline. Frederick was the fath ...

. He died at Chelsea on 10 August 1757.

Works

Hoadly was fond of the stage, and was author of '' The Suspicious Husband'', a comedy, which was first acted at

Covent Garden Theatre The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Ope ...

on 12 February 1747.

David Garrick David Garrick (19 February 1717 – 20 January 1779) was an English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of European theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil and friend of S ...

wrote a prologue for it, and acted the part of Ranger. It hit the popular taste, was often repeated on the stage, and was published in 1747 with a dedication to the king. The critics

Samuel Foote Samuel Foote (January 1720 – 21 October 1777) was a British dramatist, actor and theatre manager. He was known for his comedic acting and writing, and for turning the loss of a leg in a riding accident in 1766 to comedic opportunity. Early ...

and John Genest also praised it. A farce by

Charles Macklin Charles Macklin (26 September 1699 – 11 July 1797), (Gaelic: Cathal MacLochlainn, English: Charles McLaughlin), was an Irish actor and dramatist who performed extensively at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Macklin revolutionised theatre in ...

, ''The Suspicious Husband Criticized'', was produced at Drury Lane on 24 March 1747. Hoadly also wrote a comedy ''The Tatlers'', which was acted at Covent Garden on 29 April 1797 for Joseph George Holman's benefit, but was never printed. In 1756 he published ''Observations on a series of Electrical Experiments by Dr. Hoadly and Mr. Wilson''.

Family

Hoadly married, first, Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Betts, and by her had one son, Benjamin; secondly, Anne, daughter of General Armstrong.

Notes

External links

Benjamin Hoadly
at th
Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive (ECPA)
;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Hoadly, Benjamin 1706 births 1757 deaths 18th-century English medical doctors English dramatists and playwrights Fellows of the Royal Society People educated at Newcome's School English male dramatists and playwrights 18th-century English male writers