Samuel Argent Bardsley, MD (27 April 1764 – 29 May 1851), was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

Life

Bardsley was born at Kelvdon,

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

. His

medical studies Medicine is the science and practice of caring for patients, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...

were begun at

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...

, where he passed an apprenticeship to a

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 followed up at

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 ...

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

Leyden Leiden ( ; ; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 127,046 (31 January 2023), but the city forms one densely connecte ...

. He was entered of the

Leyden University Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; ) is a public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. Established in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange as a Protestant institution, it holds the distinction of being the oldest university in the Nethe ...

in August 1786, and graduated there in 1789. After passing a short time at

Doncaster Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...

he removed to

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

in 1790, where he was elected to membership of the

Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society The Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, popularly known as the Lit. & Phil., is one of the oldest learned societies in the United Kingdom and second oldest provincial learned society (after the Spalding Gentlemen's Society). Promi ...

on 10 December 1790{ https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/74442#page/23/mode/1up and Secretary of the Society 1793–96 . Later he was elected physician to the

Manchester Infirmary Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) is a large NHS teaching hospital in Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester, England. Founded by Charles White in 1752 as part of the voluntary hospital movement of the 18th century, it is now a major regional and nati ...

, a position he retained until August 1823, gaining during the thirty-three years great esteem as 'the very model of an hospital physician.' He relinquished his professional 'practice' many years before his death, which occurred on 29 May 1851, while on a visit to a friend near

Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...

. He was buried at St. Saviour's Church, Manchester.

Works

Dr Bardsley published in 1800 'Critical Remarks on the Tragedy of Pizarro, with Observations on the subject of the Drama;’ and in 1807 a volume of 'Medical Reports of Cases and Experiments, with Observations chiefly derived from Hospital practice; also an Enquiry into the Origin of Canine Madness.' To the 'Memoirs' of the

Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester The Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, popularly known as the Lit. & Phil., is one of the oldest learned society, learned societies in the United Kingdom and second oldest provincial learned society (after the Spalding Gentlemen's ...

, of which he was a

vice-president A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

, he contributed in 1798 a paper on 'Party Prejudice,’ and in 1803 one on 'The Use and Abuse of Popular Sports and Exercises.' Manuscript copies of lectures given by Bardsley and taken down by his students survive within the Manchester Medical Manuscripts Collection held by special collections at the University of Manchester Library with the reference
MMM/7/12
an
MMM/23/1/20
The collection also includes a commonplace book
MMM/3/1)
created by Bardsley between 1796 and 1848 in which he comments a number of medical, political, economic, and social issues of the times.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bardsley, Samuel Argent 1764 births 1851 deaths Alumni of the University of Edinburgh 18th-century English medical doctors People from Kelvedon 19th-century English medical doctors 18th-century English writers 18th-century English male writers 19th-century English writers British expatriates in the Netherlands Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society