author
John Coakley Lettsom
1744–1815
Born in the British Virgin Islands and raised within the Quaker tradition, this energetic physician became one of Georgian Britain's best-known medical reformers. He is especially remembered for founding the Medical Society of London and for pairing medical practice with unusually broad philanthropy.
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About the author
Sent to England as a child, John Coakley Lettsom trained in medicine and built a successful practice in London. He was born in 1744 on Little Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands, and his Quaker upbringing shaped the humane, practical spirit that runs through his life and work.
Lettsom believed medicine worked best when knowledge was shared. In 1773 he founded the Medical Society of London, bringing together physicians, surgeons, and apothecaries at a time when those groups were often kept apart. He also wrote widely on medical subjects and became known as a busy, respected figure in British medicine.
Outside the consulting room, he was admired for his philanthropy as much as for his professional success. He supported charitable causes, took a strong interest in public welfare, and is often remembered as an abolitionist as well as a doctor. He died in 1815, but his name remained closely tied to the institutions and reforming spirit he helped create.