Volume 1

Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie / by Timothy Holmes.

  • Timothy Holmes
Date:
1898
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie / by Timothy Holmes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    as a conveyancer, the Act (3 and 4 Will. IV.) c. 74), which bears his name, for the abolition of Fines and Recoveries being a real masterpiece of drafting. The second, William, was led, by the success of some members of his mother’s family in commerce at Salisbury, to join them in business there, and became a successful banker and member of Parliament, though he afterwards met with reverses. “The youngest son joined his brother William, and became Mayor of Salisbury. He was also a member of the Volunteer corps men- tioned on page 23. He was the father of the dis- tinguished accoucheur, Dr. G. Brodie. So, as his elder brothers were otherwise provided for, Benjamin was sent to London to study medicine. His connexions there were indeed good. Dr. Denman had married his aunt. Dr. Baillie (Hunter’s nephew) and Sir Richard Croft (the leading accoucheur of the day) had each married one of his cousins. He had friends, therefore, in the highest ranks of medical society ; and he had also excellent introductions into the legal and other circles through his brother and his cousin, the future Lord Denman. Brodie tells us plainly that he had no especial taste or desire for the profession in which he became so eminent. ‘ Others,” he writes, “have often said to me that they supposed I must have had, from the first, a particular taste or liking for my profession ; but it was no such thing: nor does my experience lead me to have any faith in those special callings to certain ways of life which some young men are supposed to have. ... The persons who succeed best in pro-
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