In memoriam Sir William Turner, K.C.B. 1832-1916 / [W.S. Copeman].

  • Copeman, W. S.
Date:
[1916]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: In memoriam Sir William Turner, K.C.B. 1832-1916 / [W.S. Copeman]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    / hx Jlemorianu SIR WILLIAM TURNER, K.G.B. 1832-1916. Sir William Turner was for so long a time closely connected with the University of Edinburgh as Demonstrator, as Professor of Anatomy, and later as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the Univer¬ sity, that it came as a surprise to many of the later generations of St. Bartholomew men to learn at his death that he was an alumnus of our Medical School, having entered as a student in October 1850. Although he joined our school then, his name does not appear until 1851 on the list of students kept at the Hospital; this discrepancy probably arises from his not entering as a full student until he had time to judge of the advisability of his remain¬ ing at our school. At the time of his entry Mr. Holden and Sir William Savory were the Demonstrators of Anatomy, Sir William Lawrence Lecturer on Surgery, and Sir George Burrows on Medicine. Among his fellow-students were Mr. Callender, Professor Rolleston, and Sir Thomas Smith, and with the two last Sir William Turner remained on terms of intimacy until their deaths. Sir William Turner was a Lancashire man, being bom in Friar Street, Lancaster, in which town his father occupied a good business position. He was born on January 7, 1832, being the eldest son of William Turner and Margaret Aldren of Skerton near Lancaster. He lost his father when five years of age, and was dependent for his early education on his mother, who survived till 1869, and had the pleasure of seeing him elected Professor of Anatomy in the University of Edinburgh. He used to tell his children that he could read at four years of age, and began Latin when he was six ; on reaching school age he went to a school at Long Marton in Westmorland kept by the Rev. W. Shepherd, where he seems to have worked at his studies in the same steady manner which distinguishes his work throughout life. . His schoolmaster, writing to Mrs. Turner in 1846 when he left school, expressed his great regret at parting with him and much satisfaction with every aspect of his conduct during his school career. Mr. Shepherd writes in even stronger terms of his younger brother Robert, who was also at Long Marton and unfortu-