Richard Manningham facts for kids

Sir Richard Manningham (1690–1759) was an important English doctor who helped deliver babies. He is best known for helping to uncover a famous trick called the Mary Toft hoax.

Sir Richard Manningham: A Doctor's Life

Richard Manningham was born in 1690 in Eversley, Hampshire. His father was Thomas Manningham. Richard first studied law at Cambridge University, finishing his degree in 1717. Later, he decided to become a doctor and earned his medical degree in 1725.

Manningham lived in London for most of his life. He moved homes several times, finally settling in Jermyn Street. In 1720, he became a member of the Royal Society, a famous group for scientists. The same year, he joined the London College of Physicians. In 1721, King George I made him a knight, so he became "Sir Richard."

Sir Richard Manningham was a leading "man-midwife" of his time. This meant he was a male doctor who specialized in helping women give birth. He was very busy and sometimes traveled to the countryside to help ladies.

In 1739, Sir Richard opened the first special ward for women giving birth in Great Britain. It was part of a hospital in St. James's, Westminster. He also taught classes on how to deliver babies there. He owned land in Chelsea, London, where he even ran a silk farm. Sir Richard Manningham passed away in Chelsea on May 11, 1759, and was buried there. Another famous doctor, Thomas Denman, praised him for being "successful in practice and very humane."

Exposing a Hoax and Other Works

In 1726, Sir Richard Manningham wrote a book called Exact Diary of what was observed during a close attendance upon Mary Toft the pretended Rabbit Breeder. This book was about a strange event known as the Mary Toft hoax.

Mary Toft, a woman from Godalming, claimed she had given birth to several rabbits. She even showed pieces of what she said were rabbit parts. Sir Richard Manningham worked with another doctor, James Douglas, to investigate. They carefully examined the "rabbit" pieces. They found out that these were parts of adult rabbits, not baby ones. They also proved that Mary Toft was not actually giving birth. This showed that Mary Toft was tricking everyone.

After the hoax was revealed, a famous artist named William Hogarth drew a picture of Mary Toft. People all over London talked about the strange event. Sir Richard Manningham's name became much more widely known because he helped expose the trick.

Sir Richard also wrote other important medical books. In 1740, he published Artis Obstetricariæ Compendium, which was about helping women give birth. It was later translated into English. In 1750, he wrote A Treatise on the Symptoms, Nature, Causes, and Cure of the Febricula or Little Fever. This book described different types of fevers, including what we now call the common cold. He also wrote Aphorismata Medica in 1756 and a book about the plague in 1758.

Family Life

Sir Richard Manningham had a second son also named Thomas. This Thomas Manningham also became a doctor, getting his degree in 1765. He lived in his father's old house in Jermyn Street, London, until 1780. Later, he moved to Bath, Somerset, and passed away there in 1794.