Person    | Male  Born 13/2/1728  Died 16/10/1793

John Hunter

Categories: Medicine

Countries: Scotland

Pioneer anatomist and surgeon. Born in East Kilbride, Scotland. He left school at the age of 13 and after an unremarkable childhood, journeyed south to London to work as a dissector for his brother William, a teacher of anatomy. He studied surgery at Chelsea and St. Bartholomew's Hospital.

He was a pupil and house surgeon at St George’s Hospital at Hyde Park Corner  from 1754 and in 1768 was appointed to the staff as a surgeon. He was a distinguished teacher and amongst his students was Edward Jenner.

His interest in surgery grew to such an extent that he formed a collection of 10,500 anatomical specimens, initially accommodated in his house in Leicester Square, now at the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1767 and has been called the founder of scientific surgery.

He collapsed and died at a meeting of St George’s Board of Governors at which he was involved in a heated discussion over the admission of students.

Londonist has mapped John Hunter's London, showing not just the memorials but all the important locations in his life. And the Library Time Machine has pictures and information about his house in Earl's Court.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
John Hunter

Commemorated ati

John Hunter bust - Tooting

This is a far better sculpture than our photo shows. Two versions of this bus...

Read More

John Hunter - Gateway

{At the top of the gateway, below the bust:} John Hunter 1728 - 1793. Founded...

Read More

John Hunter, Leicester Square

All four of the Leicester Square busts were removed in the 2010-12 redesign, ...

Read More

John Hunter, Lincoln's Inn Fields

{The front of the stone plinth is inscribed:} Hunter {On a plaque attached ...

Read More

John Hunter plaque

{On the main, round plaque:} LCC John Hunter, 1728 - 1793, surgeon, lived h...

Read More

Show all 8

Other Subjects

Miss F. E. Cherry

Miss F. E. Cherry

Lady District Officer in the St John Ambulance Brigade, No. 1 District, 1915-1942. Serving Sister in the Order of St John.

Person, Emergency Services, Medicine, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud

Founding father of psychoanalysis. Born Morovia. In 1860 the family settled in Vienna where he studied, began his career and married.  In 1875 he visited his half-brothers in Manchester, and again ...

Person, Medicine, Seriously Famous, Austria

2 memorials
Women + Health

Women + Health

From their website: "... started in the 1980’s by a group of local women from Somers Town who had decided that they needed an informal environment in which they could learn more about their health,...

Group, Medicine, Social Welfare

1 memorial
Major William Napier

Major William Napier

R.A.M.C., physician & surgeon at Chelsea Hospital. His daughter, Deirdre, was killed in the same bombing raid on the north east wing of the Hospital.

Person, Medicine

War dead non-military, WW2
1 memorial
Doctor Harold Moody

Doctor Harold Moody

Physician. Born Harold Arundel Moody at 8 Rum Lane, Kingston, Jamaica. Although well qualified, he was refused a post at King's College Hospital because of his colour, but became a medical superint...

Person, Medicine, Race Issues, Jamaica

1 memorial