William Clift facts for kids

William Clift (born February 14, 1775 – died June 20, 1849) was a British artist and a very important person who looked after scientific collections. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a big honor for scientists.

Early Life and Learning

William Clift was born in a small place called Burcombe, near Bodmin in Cornwall, England. He was the youngest of seven children. His father died when William was young, and his family didn't have much money.

When William was at school in Bodmin, people noticed he was very good at drawing. Mrs. Gilbert, the wife of a local important person, saw him drawing with chalk on her kitchen floor. She was so impressed that she suggested William become an apprentice to John Hunter. Hunter was a famous surgeon and scientist in London.

William arrived in London on his 17th birthday, February 14, 1792. He started working for John Hunter without pay. His job was to write, draw, help with dissections (studying bodies), and look after Hunter's large museum. This continued until Hunter passed away in October 1793.

A Career in Science

After John Hunter died, William Clift was hired to look after Hunter's amazing collections. He lived in a house in Castle Street with an old housekeeper and earned only seven shillings a week. He was the only one responsible for keeping the collections safe.

William also copied and saved about half of Hunter's handwritten notes and papers. These important documents might have been lost forever if William hadn't copied them. When the British Parliament bought the collection, it was in even better shape than when Hunter died, thanks to William.

In 1800, the new Royal College of Surgeons took over the collection. They decided to keep William Clift as their "Conservator," which means he was the official caretaker. They paid him about £100 a year. From then on, William spent all his time helping to advance the study of comparative anatomy (comparing the bodies of different animals) and physiology (how living things work). He saw the museum grow and become even more impressive. William also successfully moved Hunter's collections twice to new locations.

Family Life

William Clift married Caroline Amelia Pope in 1799 in London. They were together until Caroline died in April 1849. Just a few weeks later, on June 20, 1849, William Clift also passed away in London. They were both buried in Highgate Cemetery.

William and Caroline had a son named William Home Clift, who helped his father at the museum. Sadly, he died young in 1833. Their only daughter, Caroline Amelia Clift, married Professor Richard Owen in 1835. Richard Owen later became a very famous scientist himself.

Lasting Impact

William Clift was highly respected and well-liked by other scientists of his time. Many important people, like Dr. South and Benjamin Brodie, praised his hard work, his desire to learn, and his sharp mind. He was also admired by famous scientists such as Sir Joseph Banks, Dr. Wollaston, and Sir Humphry Davy. Because of Sir Humphry Davy's influence, William was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1823. This is a very high honor for scientists.

William was also part of the Chemical Society, a group that studied animal chemistry. Scientists like Gideon Mantell and Baron Cuvier thanked William for his help with their important work on fossils and anatomy. Sir Charles Lyell and Sir Benjamin Brodie also mentioned William's deep knowledge of osteology (the study of bones).

William Clift's detailed drawings were used in many important scientific books. For example, his illustrations appeared in a book by Matthew Baillie about human anatomy. His drawings also featured in Sir Everard Home's papers on Comparative Anatomy.

In 1861, Sir Richard Owen (William's son-in-law) published a book of John Hunter's writings. These writings were printed from the copies William Clift had made. This was very important because most of Hunter's original papers had been destroyed in 1823 while they were with Sir Everard Home. When William heard about the destruction, he was very upset, reportedly saying, "Well, Sir Everard, there is but one thing more to be done, that is to destroy the collection."

William also created the catalog for the bone collection in the Hunterian Museum. He gave valuable information to a government committee about medical education in 1834. An early photograph of William is in Claudet's Historical Gallery, and a plaster bust (a sculpture of his head and shoulders) of him from 1843 is at the College of Surgeons.

Images for kids

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  William Clift's grave in Highgate Cemetery (west side).