John Whitehead (physician) facts for kids

John Whitehead (born around 1740 – died 1804) was an English doctor and a lay preacher. He is best known for writing a biography about John Wesley, a very important leader in the Methodist church.

Early Life

John Whitehead was born around 1740 in a place called Dukinfield, Cheshire. His parents were part of a Christian group called the Moravians. He received a good education, including learning classical subjects.

When he was young, he became involved with the Methodist movement. A Methodist preacher named Matthew Mayer helped him become a believer. John Whitehead then worked as a lay preacher in Bristol. A lay preacher is someone who preaches but is not officially ordained as a minister.

Later, John Whitehead got married and started a business in Bristol. He sold linen, which is a type of fabric. His business did well, and he moved to London. In London, he joined another religious group called the Society of Friends, also known as Quakers. He became a Quaker speaker and also ran a large boarding school in Wandsworth.

Becoming a Doctor

A wealthy man named David Barclay of Youngsbury offered John Whitehead a special deal. He would pay Whitehead £100 every year for life if Whitehead traveled with his son in Europe. Whitehead agreed.

He then went to Leiden University in the Netherlands to study medicine. He started his studies on September 16, 1779, when he was about 39 years old. He quickly earned his medical degree (M.D.) on February 4, 1780.

After returning to London, he became a doctor at the London dispensary. This happened with the help of another doctor, John Coakley Lettsom. On March 25, 1782, he was also allowed to practice medicine by the Royal College of Physicians.

In 1784, the Quakers tried to get him a job as a doctor at the London Hospital. He was chosen for the role on July 28. However, the election was later canceled because of a small mistake with one of the votes.

Returning to Methodism

John Whitehead became the personal doctor for John Wesley and his brother Charles Wesley. In 1784, he left the Quakers and rejoined the Methodists. He even wanted to stop being a doctor and become a full-time minister. However, John Wesley did not officially ordain him.

When John Wesley died in 1791, John Whitehead gave the funeral sermon. This sermon was very popular and was printed four times. He earned £200 from it, which he gave to the Methodist society.

The Story of Wesley's Biographies

John Wesley left his personal papers to three people: Thomas Coke, John Whitehead, and Henry Moore. They were in charge of his writings and decided to write a book about Wesley's life. They wanted to wait for another book by John Hampson to come out first.

It turned out that Hampson's book was mostly written by his father, who had left the Methodist church. At a meeting, it was decided that John Whitehead should be paid to write Wesley's official biography. He was given all of Wesley's papers to help him.

Hampson's book was published in June 1791. On July 6, Whitehead announced his plan to publish his own book. He had a document signed by Wesley's other executors, asking him to write the life story. The Methodist conference agreed to this plan, and Whitehead joined the book committee.

However, a disagreement started. Whitehead claimed he owned the copyright and half of the profits from the book. There was also a big argument about him keeping Wesley's papers. On December 9, 1791, the local Methodist meeting removed him from the list of preachers. He also lost his membership ticket at the City Road Chapel.

Because of this, Thomas Coke and Henry Moore decided to write another biography of Wesley. They did not have access to Wesley's papers, as Whitehead would not let them see them. Their book was finished quickly and published on April 2, 1792. It was approved by the Methodist conference, and 20,000 copies were sold that year.

At the conference in July and August 1792, Whitehead was asked to show Wesley's papers. He offered a compromise, which was accepted for a short time. But the dispute continued, and both sides even started legal actions. Eventually, the London Methodist society paid all the costs, which were over £2,000, to stop the lawsuits.

Whitehead's first book about Wesley was published in 1793. A separate part about Charles Wesley was also released that year. The second volume of Whitehead's book came out in 1796. In 1796, Whitehead finally returned Wesley's papers to the Methodist book-room. However, some papers were destroyed by John Pawson before they reached Henry Moore.

Henry Moore later published his own new book about Wesley in 1824–1825. He used some of Whitehead's work in his book. Whitehead's book was reprinted in Dublin in 1806.

Later Life

In 1797, John Whitehead was allowed to rejoin the Methodist church. He died in 1804 at his home in Fountain Court, Old Bethlem. He left behind his wife, Mary, and his children and grandchildren. His funeral sermon was given by Joseph Benson.

His Writings

Besides the biography of John Wesley, John Whitehead also published other works:

• ‘An Essay on Liberty and Necessity. … By Philaretus’ [1775], written against Augustus Toplady.
• ‘Materialism philosophically examined,’ 1778, written against Joseph Priestley.
• ‘Tentamen physiologicum … sistens novam theoriam de causa reciprocarum in corde et arteriis contractionum,’ Leyden, 1780.
• ‘To whom it belongs,’ 1781, (a Quaker leaflet, signed "Principle").
• ‘A Report … of a Memoir containing a New Method of treating … Puerperal Fever,’ 1783, (translated from French, with notes).
• ‘A Letter on the Difference between the Medical Society of Crane Court and Dr. Whitehead,’ 1784.
• ‘A True Narrative of … the Difference between Dr. Coke, Mr. Moore, Mr. Rogers, and Dr. Whitehead, concerning … the Life of … Wesley,’ 1792.
• ‘A Defence of a True Narrative,’ 1792.
• ‘A Letter to the Methodist Preachers,’ 1792.
• ‘Circular to the Methodist Preachers,’ 1792.