Bartholomew Parr (1750 – 20 November 1810) was a British physician and medical author, known for his ''London Medical Dictionary'' published in 1809. After earning his Doctor of Medicine in 1773 at the University of Edinburgh, Parr served as Physician of the Devon and Exeter Hospital in southwest England. He was later elected as Fellow of the Royal Societies of

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

and

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Life

Parr was born in

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

in 1750 the son of Bartholomew Parr (1713-1800), surgeon of Exeter Hospital (and a pupil of Dr. William Smellie), by his second wife Johanna Burgess. He was sent to the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

to study medicine and graduated with a Doctor of Medicine in 1773, returning to Exeter to practice. In February 1775 he replaced Dr. Thomas Glass as Physician of the Devon and Exeter Hospital. In 1789 he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was establis ...

. His proposers were

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the first U.S. secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795 dur ...

James Hutton James Hutton (; 3 June Old Style and New Style dates, O.S. 1726 – 26 March 1797) was a Scottish geologist, Agricultural science, agriculturalist, chemist, chemical manufacturer, Natural history, naturalist and physician. Often referred to a ...

and Andrew Duncan, the elder. In 1797 he was also elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of London The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, r ...

. He died at home at Bedford Circus in Exeter on 20 November 1810. He is buried in the churchyard of St Stephen's Church, Exeter. His will of 1811 is held at the National Archive in Kew. Parr Street in Exeter near Belmont Park is named after him.

Family

He married Maria Coddrington who bore him two sons: Coddrington Parr and Samuel Parr. Coddrington acquired Stoneland House in

Dawlish Dawlish is a seaside resort town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Teignbridge district in Devon, England. It is located on the south coast of England at a distance of from the city of Exeter and a similar distance from the to ...

in 1822. On her death he married Frances Robson in May 1809 but she abandoned him after six weeks.

Publications

*''Account of the Influenza as it Appeared in Devonshire in May 1792'' (1792) *''London Medical Dictionary'' (1809) He was editor of both ''Medical and Philosophical Commentaries'' and '' Annals of Medicine''.

Artistic Recognition

His portrait, by William Mineard Bennett, is held by the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.

References

1750 births 1810 deaths Medical doctors from Exeter Alumni of the University of Edinburgh 18th-century English medical doctors Fellows of the Royal Society Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh {{UK-med-bio-stub