John Misaubin facts for kids

John (Jean) Misaubin (1673 – 20 April 1734) was an 18th-century doctor. He was a Huguenot, which means he was a French Protestant. He worked as a physician in both France and Britain. Some people called him a "quack," but he was actually a highly trained doctor.

Early Life and Moving to London

John Misaubin was born in Mussidan, a town in France, in 1673. His father was a Protestant church leader. John studied medicine and became a doctor in Cahors, France.

Because he was a Huguenot, John Misaubin faced challenges in France. Many Protestants were treated unfairly at that time. So, he decided to move to London, England. He arrived there around 1709.

Family and New Beginnings

In London, John Misaubin married Martha Angibaud in 1709. Martha's father, Charles Angibaud, was also a Huguenot. He had been a pharmacist for King Louis XIV of France. Charles Angibaud had also moved from France to London before 1685. Both Misaubin and Angibaud had their medical practices on St Martin's Lane in London.

Becoming a British Doctor

In 1719, John Misaubin became a British citizen. This meant he had the same rights as people born in Britain. In the same year, he took a special three-part test. He passed this test to become a licensed doctor with the Royal College of Physicians. This showed he was very skilled in medicine.

Even though he was a qualified doctor, some people made fun of him. They thought his foreign ways and French accent were strange. He was also very tall and thin, which people sometimes joked about.

Misaubin in Popular Culture

John Misaubin appeared in many funny drawings and plays of his time. These were called satirical prints. Artists and writers often made fun of public figures. One famous artist, William Hogarth, might have shown Misaubin's office in his paintings.

In Hogarth's famous series called Marriage à-la-mode, a young nobleman visits a doctor. This doctor's office might have been Misaubin's museum at 96 St Martin's Lane. However, the doctor shown in the paintings is not Misaubin himself.

The writer Henry Fielding also mentioned Misaubin in his books. Fielding joked that Misaubin told people to address letters to him as "Dr. Misaubin in the World." This was because Misaubin believed everyone knew how famous he was.

Later Life

John Misaubin died in London on April 20, 1734. When he died, newspapers called him an "eminent physician." This means he was a well-known and respected doctor. His son, Edmund, sadly died in 1740 when he was 23 years old.