FOTHERGILL (Dr John), a late eminent physician, was born in 1712, at Wenley-dale in Yorkshire. His father had been bred to the profession of husbandry, and occupied a small estate of his own in that country. The Doctor was the second of five children (four sons and a daughter), and received his education in the seminary belonging to the Quakers; and afterwards served his time to one Mr Bartlett an apothecary at Bradford. From thence he removed to London, and became a pupil of Dr (afterwards Sir Edward) Wilmot, at St Thomas's Hospital. He then went to the university of Edinburgh, where he took his degree in 1736. From Edinburgh he went to Leyden; whence, after a short stay, he returned to London, and began to practise physic about the year 1740, in a house in White-hart Court, Lombard-street, where he resided during the greatest part of his life, and acquired most of his fortune. In 1744 he was admitted a licentiate of the college of physicians in London; and in 1754 a fellow of that of Edinburgh, to which he was a considerable benefactor. He afterwards became a member of the Royal Medical Society at Pa-
ris, and a member both of the Royal and Antiquarian Societies. He continued his practice with unremitting attention and success, till his illness, during the two last years of his life, obliged him to give up a considerable part of it. The disorder which hastened his death, was a scirrhus of the prostate gland, and an obstruction in the bladder, in which were found two quarts of water after his decease. This had been gradually coming upon him for six years, by reason of his delicacy, which made him unwilling to alight often from his carriage; and when, after his temporary recovery from it the year before he died, he submitted to use relief in his carriage, it was too late. He died in his house in Harpur-street, Dec. 26. 1780.
Dr Fothergill, besides his attention to medicine, had imbibed an early taste for natural history, which was improved by his friend Mr Collinson. He was for many years a valuable contributor to the Gentleman's Magazine; which, in return, considerably assisted his rising fame. His observations on the Weather and Diseases were begun in 1751, and continued monthly for some years. He did not add to the medical art any great or valuable improvements. His pamphlet on the Ulcerous Sore Throat is in every respect the best of his performances, and owes much of its merit to the information of the late Drs Leatherland and Sylvester. It was first printed in 1748, on the reappearance of that fatal disorder, which, in 1739, had carried off the two sons of Mr Pelham. At the expence of Dr Fothergill also was made and published a new translation of the whole Bible, by Anthony Purver a Quaker, who, by his own industry, acquired a knowledge of the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin languages. This publication is said to have cost the Doctor not less than 2000l. It appeared in 1764 in two vols folio; and in 1780 was published an edition of Dean Percy's Key to the New Testament, adapted to the use of a seminary of young Quakers at Ackworth, near Leeds in Yorkshire. This was founded in 1778 by the society, who purchased by subscription, in which Dr Fothergill's name stood foremost, the house and estate of 30 acres possessed by the Foundling Hospital, but which they found inconvenient for their purpose on account of distance. The Doctor first projected this on the plan of a smaller institution of the same kind at Gildersomes. He also endowed it handsomely by his will. It now contains above 300 children of both sexes, who are fed and instructed.
The fortune acquired by Dr Fothergill was immense; and, taking all things together, the computation cannot be less than 80,000l. His business, when in full practice, was valued at 7000l. a-year. In the influenza of 1775 and 1776, he is said to have had 60 patients daily on his list, and his profit was estimated at 8000l.—When the infirmities of old age obliged him to relax his close attention to business, he quitted his house in the city, and resided in Harpur-street, Red-lion Square. He also furnished himself with a pleasant retreat at Upton, which he used to visit on Saturdays during the winter, and sometimes more frequently in spring and summer. For several years before his death he was accustomed to retire in the month of July to Lea-Hall, a pleasant estate in the neighbourhood of Middlewich, which he rented from Sir John Leicesters. He generally resided
at this place till the latter end of September; and while here took no fees, but used to go once a-week to an inn at Middlewich, and prescribe gratis to all who applied to him.
Dr Fothergill's character was excellent. A transaction, indeed, with regard to one Dr Leeds gave occasion to some of his enemies to blame him; but how unjustly, has been abundantly shown by his biographers Dr Elliot and Dr Lettsome.
Dr Fothergill wrote a considerable number of Tracts, which are now collected into one vol. 8vo, by Dr Elliot. He sometimes wrote in the newspapers, and is said to have been the author of more than 100 letters in the Gazetteer concerning the New Pavement.