William Somerville (physician) facts for kids
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William Somerville (born 1771 – died 25 June 1860) was an important Scottish doctor. He worked as an inspector for the Army Medical Board, which looked after the health of soldiers. He was also the husband of the famous mathematician and scientist Mary Somerville. Together, they had four children.
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Early Life and Education
William Somerville was born on April 22, 1771. His father was Reverend Dr. Thomas Somerville, a minister in Jedburgh, Scotland. William grew up and went to school near his home in Jedburgh.
He decided to study medicine at Aberdeen University, focusing on surgery. He earned his first medical degree around 1790 and later received his full doctor's degree (MD) in 1800.
Adventures and Military Service
In 1801, William Somerville went on an exciting journey into Africa. He led an expedition with Petrus Johannes Truter that reached a region called Bechuanaland (which is now part of Botswana).
A few years later, in 1806, he joined the British Army. He became a Garrison Surgeon, a doctor for soldiers, in the Cape Colony in South Africa. He was there when the British took control of the Cape of Good Hope.
From 1807 to 1811, William worked in Canada as an Inspector of Hospitals. This meant he was in charge of making sure military hospitals were running well. He then served in Sicily from 1811 to 1813.
Life in Edinburgh and London
In 1813, William Somerville moved back to Scotland. He became the Deputy Inspector of Military Hospitals in Scotland and settled in Edinburgh. In the same year, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, which is a group that recognizes important scientists and thinkers.
By 1816, he was one of the main medical inspectors for the Army Medical Board in England. He also became a member of the Royal College of Physicians in 1817 and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, another very important scientific group.
In 1819, William became the doctor for the Chelsea Hospital in London. This hospital cared for retired soldiers, who are often called the Chelsea Pensioners. He lived in London with his family at Hanover Square, Westminster.
Later Years and Family
In 1838, William Somerville moved with his family to Italy. He passed away in Florence on June 25, 1860, when he was 92 years old. He is buried there in the old Protestant Cemetery.
William Somerville was married twice. His first wife, Ann Rutherfoord, died in 1808. They had one son, Thomas, who sadly died when he was a baby.
In 1812, William married his second wife, Mary Somerville. Mary became a very famous scientist and writer. They had three daughters and one son. Only two of their daughters, Martha Charters Somerville (1815-1879) and Mary Charlotte Somerville (1817-1875), lived to be adults. Neither of them ever married. William also had an older son, James Craig Somerville (died 1847), whom he supported and helped to become a doctor.
