Bartholomew Mosse (1712 – 16 February 1759) was an Irish

surgeon In medicine, a surgeon is a medical doctor who performs surgery. Even though there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon is a licensed physician and received the same medical training as physicians before spec ...

and

impresario An impresario (from Italian ''impresa'', 'an enterprise or undertaking') is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, Play (theatre), plays, or operas, performing a role in stage arts that is similar to that of a film producer, film or ...

responsible for founding the

Rotunda Hospital The Rotunda Hospital (; legally the Hospital for the Relief of Poor Lying-in Women, Dublin) is a maternity hospital on Parnell Street in Dublin, Ireland, now managed by RCSI Hospitals. The Rotunda entertainment buildings in Parnell Square are no ...

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

Early life

Bartholemew Mosse was born in Dysart, 2 km east of

Portlaoise Portlaoise ( ), or Port Laoise (), is the county town of County Laois, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Midland Region, Ireland, South Midlands in the province of Leinster. Portlaoise was the fastest growing of the top 20 largest town ...

(then called Maryborough), the fifth son of seven children born to William Mosse, a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

clergyman, and Martha Boyle. Bartholomew apprenticed with Dr. John Stone as a barber-surgeon from 1729-1733, when he passed the examination by the surgeon-general. He married Mary Elizabeth Mallory in 1734, and they had a son, Michael, who was born in 1737. While historical records are unclear, it appears that both mother and infant died shortly thereafter. In 1738, he was appointed surgeon in charge of the draft of troops to

Menorca Menorca or Minorca (from , later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Mallorca. Its capital is Maó, situated on the isl ...

, following which he spent time travelling through Europe. It is believed that it was during this time that he decided to focus on

midwifery Midwifery is the health science and health profession that deals with pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period (including care of the newborn), in addition to the sexual and reproductive health of women throughout their lives. In many cou ...

, to which end he observed maternity care in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, among other cities. In 1742, he married his cousin, Jane Wittingham, with whom he had two children: Charles and Jane, born in 1745 and 1746 respectively.

The Dublin Lying-In Hospital

By 1743, he had determined to raise money for a purpose-built

maternity hospital A maternity hospital specializes in caring for women during pregnancy and childbirth. It also provides care for newborn infants, and may act as a centre for clinical training in midwifery and obstetrics. Formerly known as lying-in hospitals, most ...

, which he achieved through subscriptions, as well as the patronage of many of Dublin's prominent citizens. With this money, he purchased an old theatre in George's Lane, which he converted into the Lying-In Hospital, opening in 1745. Demand soon outstripped the capacity of the hospital, and Mosse staged theatrical productions to raise money for expansion. He also purchased land on the outskirts of the city, where he constructed a pleasure garden, concert hall and coffee house, known as the New Gardens. Profit from this venture was used to construct the Rotunda Hospital, designed by

Richard Cassels Richard Cassels (1690 – 1751), also known as Richard Castle, was an architect who ranks with Edward Lovett Pearce as one of the greatest architects working in Ireland in the 18th century. Cassels was born in 1690 in Kassel, Germany. Although ...

, which opened on 8 December 1757. Mosse spent a considerable amount of his personal fortune on this venture, falling into debt, and eventually being imprisoned for indebtedness, although he escaped through a window and went into hiding in

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. He was also accused of misappropriation of funds, although no formal charges were ever brought, and Mosse was never convicted of any crime. He died of unknown causes on 16 February 1759 and is interred in Donnybrook Cemetery. His successor at the Hospital was

Fielding Ould Sir Fielding Ould (1710–29 November 1789) was an Irish doctor and medical writer. Ould was the son of British Army Captain Abraham Ould (1689–1715) and a Miss Shawe of Galway, in which city he was born. He studied in Paris and settled in Go ...

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mosse, Bartholomew 1712 births 1759 deaths 18th-century Irish medical doctors Medical doctors from County Laois Burials at Donnybrook Cemetery People on Irish postage stamps