Sir Walter Farquhar, 1st Baronet facts for kids
Sir Walter Farquhar (born October 1738, died March 1819) was a famous Scottish doctor. He lived in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Many important people were his patients. These included the Prince of Wales, who later became King George IV. He also treated the Prime Minister, William Pitt. Walter Farquhar was born in Garioch, Scotland. He first studied medicine at King's College, Aberdeen. But he left to become a surgeon in the British Army. This was during the Seven Years' War. Later, he worked in London. He became a qualified doctor. He was very popular with royal family members and politicians. He even received a special honor called a baronetcy for his work.
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Early Life and Army Career
Walter Farquhar was born in 1738. His father, Robert Farquhar, was a minister in Garioch. His mother was Katherine Turing. Walter went to King's College, Aberdeen. There, he started studying medicine. His teacher was a doctor named James Gregory.
In 1760, Walter stopped his medical studies. He decided to join the British Army. He became a surgeon for the 19th Regiment of Foot. In 1761, his regiment went to Belle Île. Later, they moved to Gibraltar. They stayed there until the war ended.
Becoming a Doctor in London
After leaving the army, Walter Farquhar traveled. He spent about 18 months in France. He continued his medical studies there. He worked with a doctor named Claude Nicolas le Cat in Rouen.
In 1769, Walter moved to London. He said he was not feeling well. He opened a shop selling medicines. This was in Great Marlborough Street. His wife, Anne Harvie, helped him. She was the widow of another London doctor.
Slowly, Walter's practice grew. Many people became his patients. He became a fully qualified doctor. King's College, Aberdeen, gave him his MD degree in 1796. In the same year, he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. He also got a license from the Royal College of Physicians.
Working for Royalty and Politicians
Many important people became Walter Farquhar's patients. These included the Prince of Wales. He later became King George IV. Walter also treated William Pitt the Younger. Pitt was the Prime Minister. Another patient was Lord Melville, a powerful politician.
Because of these important patients, Walter received a special honor. He was made a baronet in 1796. A baronet is a title of honor given by the King or Queen. Soon after, he became the main doctor for the Prince of Wales. This was called "physician-in-ordinary."
With his great reputation, Walter Farquhar had a very successful business. He worked until 1813. He retired because of his own health problems.
Later Life and Legacy
Walter Farquhar died in London in March 1819. He was buried at St Martin-in-the-Fields. This church is in Westminster. His title of baronet passed to his oldest son. This was Sir Thomas Harvie Farquhar.
However, his second son became even more successful. His name was Robert Townsend Farquhar. He became the governor of Penang and Mauritius. These were important places. Later, he became a Member of Parliament. In 1821, Robert received his own baronetcy. This was separate from his father's.
Sir Walter Farquhar was a very successful doctor in his time. But he did not write any medical books. He also did not discover new medical knowledge. So, he did not have a lasting impact on British medicine.
