Severin Wielobycki (8 January 1793 – 7 September 1893) was a Polish

centenarian A centenarian is a person who has reached the age of 100. Because life expectancies at birth worldwide are well below 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. The United Nations estimated that there were 316,600 living centenarian ...

physician who lived in

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 ...

. A controversial

homeopath Homeopathy or homoeopathy is a pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine. It was conceived in 1796 by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann. Its practitioners, called homeopaths or homeopathic physicians, believe that a substance that ...

during a period of scientific focus, his adventurous life ranged from being a soldier in the

Kraków Uprising The Kraków Uprising ( Polish: ''powstanie krakowskie'', ''rewolucja krakowska''; German: ''Krakauer Aufstand''; Russian: ''краковское восстание'') of 1846 was an attempt, led by Polish insurgents such as Jan Tyssowski and ...

and being a noted botanist, vegetarian, non-smoker and teetotaller. He was fluent in Polish, German, French, Russian and English.

Life

Wielobycki was born on 8 January 1793 in

Volhynia Volhynia or Volynia ( ; see #Names and etymology, below) is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between southeastern Poland, southwestern Belarus, and northwestern Ukraine. The borders of the region are not clearly defined, but in ...

. The first son of Sophie Soboloska and Stanislaw Wielobycki, a judge. They initially lived in

Wolyn Volhynia or Volynia ( ; see below) is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between southeastern Poland, southwestern Belarus, and northwestern Ukraine. The borders of the region are not clearly defined, but in Ukraine it is roughly ...

in what is now

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

but moved west to a section which is now

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

(but was then German territory) in 1793 in or near

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...

. This lies in the much disputed

Danzig corridor The Polish Corridor (; ), also known as the Pomeranian Corridor, was a territory located in the region of Pomerelia (Pomeranian Voivodeship, Eastern Pomerania), which provided the Second Polish Republic with access to the Baltic Sea, thus d ...

where ownership has frequently passed between Germany and Poland. In 1830/31 he and his whole family took arms in a local fight for independence from Germany and recognition of their Polish identity. He served as a captain in this resistance movement leading the Volvnian Cavalry Volunteers. Severin himself took place in 36 battles during the uprising and was one of the most prominent persons in the rebellion. Defeated he was offered the option of going to Britain rather than face imprisonment and he did this in 1831, sailing to

Leith Leith (; ) is a port area in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith and is home to the Port of Leith. The earliest surviving historical references are in the royal charter authorising the construction of ...

and probably staying there. He was in great poverty at this time. Records note that he was deafened by his military action. In Leith he taught French to earn a living. In 1839, his brother

Dionysius Wielobycki Dionysius Wielobycki (1813 – 16 November 1882) was a 19th century Polish doctor living in Scotland. A controversial homeopath during a period of scientific focus, his adventurous life ranged from being a soldier in the November Uprising and being ...

who had escaped from prison in Kraków, joined him in

. He initially made a living teaching French (which was more in demand than Polish or German. In 1841, he enrolled at 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 ...

with his brother, both studying medicine. They received their doctorate (MD) in 1843. They were both given Licentiates of the

Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) is a medical royal college in Scotland. It is one of three organisations that set the specialty training standards for physicians in the United Kingdom. It was established by royal charter i ...

(LRCPE). They initially worked together with a homeopathic practice at 59 Queen Street. Unlike Dionysius, who stayed in Edinburgh, Severin decided to emigrate to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. He lived in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

from 1845 to 1851. He then moved to London and had a successful career as a homeopath there. In London he lived variously at Connaught Terrace, 11 Russell Place and 4 Denmark Hill. In the 1861 census he appears in lodgings at 25 Montagu Street in Edinburgh. Later that year he married (see below). He retired in 1865 and moved to 1 Alma Villas in

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

where Dionysus had been living since 1862 (when he was released from prison). When Dionysius returned to Edinburgh in 1871 Severin returned to London, living in

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also ) is an area in London, England, and is located in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. Oxford Street forms its southern boundary. An ancient parish and latterly a metropo ...

. His health was excellent until 1890 and he would take a daily 12 mile walk to

Primrose Hill Primrose Hill is a Grade II listed public park located north of Regent's Park in London, England, first opened to the public in 1842.Mills, A., ''Dictionary of London Place Names'', (2001) It was named after the natural hill in the centre of t ...

. In 1890 a bout of

influenza Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These sympto ...

broke his health. The Society for the Study of Inebriety marked his 100th birthday with a party in January 1893. He served as their Vice president 1892/3. He died on 7 September 1893 at his home at 4 Eaton Villas in

St John's Wood St John's Wood is a district in the London Borough of Camden, London Boroughs of Camden and the City of Westminster, London, England, about 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Charing Cross. Historically the northern part of the Civil Parish#An ...

aged 100 and 8 months. He is buried in

Paddington Cemetery The North Brisbane Burial Ground was a former cemetery in the Town of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was in the area now known as the suburbs of Milton and Paddington. It was also known as North Brisbane Cemetery, Paddington Cemetery and ...

. A member of multiple societies he belonged to the Vegetarian Society, Hahnemann Institute, the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, the

Hunterian Society The Hunterian Society, founded in 1819 in honour of the Scottish surgeon John Hunter (1728–1793), is a medical society based at the Medical Society of London, London. Established by William Cooke, a general practitioner, and Thomas Armiger ...

, the Medical Society of Edinburgh, the Physical Society of Edinburgh and the

British Homeopathic Society The Faculty of Homeopathy was formed in 1944 from the British Homeopathic Society (founded in 1844). It was incorporated by the Faculty of Homeopathy Act 1950, which confers an educational function on the Faculty. The Faculty promotes the develop ...

Vegetarianism

Wielobycki delivered a speech in March, 1893 that revealed he was a life-long teetotaller and

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...

for seventeen years.Forward, Charles W. (1898)
''Fifty Years of Food Reform: A History of the Vegetarian Movement in England''
London: The Ideal Publishing Union. pp. 86-87"Speech by a Centenarian"
''South Canterbury Times'', 1893. He was vice-president of the

Vegetarian Society The Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom (VSUK) is a British Registered charity in England, registered charity. It campaigns for dietary changes, licenses Vegetarian Society Approved trademarks for Vegetarianism, vegetarian and Veganism, v ...

and of the National Food Reform Society. Wielobycki attributed his longevity to abstinence from alcohol, animal food and tobacco.

Family

In 1861 he married a Scottish widow, Helen Reith (b. 1813), of 48 Hanover Street in the town centre of Edinburgh.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wielobycki, Severin 1793 births 1893 deaths Alumni of the University of Edinburgh British temperance activists British homeopaths Polish deaf people Medical doctors from Edinburgh People associated with the Vegetarian Society People from Kraków Polish men centenarians Vegetarianism activists Burials at Paddington Old Cemetery British deaf people Deaf activists