Charles Ransford, M.D., was a traditionally educated British physician and a

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

of the

Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) is a medical royal college in Scotland. It is one of three organisations that sets the specialty training standards for physicians in the United Kingdom. It was established by Royal charter ...

, who later became the private physician of the Duke of Northumberland and an early

advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. Different countries' legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. However, ...

homoeopathic Homeopathy or homoeopathy is a pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine. It was conceived in 1796 by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann. Its practitioners, called homeopaths, believe that a substance that causes symptoms of a dis ...

medicine.

Early life

Dr. Ransford was born in

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

, Gloucestershire, England in about 1808, the son of Edward Ransford, Jr. (1766-1842) and Mary Jarrett.

Fellow in Edinburgh

It was at the

Royal Infirmary Royal Infirmary may refer to a number of hospitals in the United Kingdom: *England **Blackburn Royal Infirmary **Bradford Royal Infirmary **Bolton Royal Infirmary **Bristol Royal Infirmary **Chester Royal Infirmary **Derbyshire Royal Infirmary **Do ...

in Bristol that Charles Ransford began his medical education. He later studied in London and Paris before attending the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

, where he graduated with his medical degree in 1833. In 1835 he was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. He fulfilled this position for the next 15 years. He was elected the college's treasurer and examiner, and had the task of straightening out its finances during a period of financial turmoil. During his tenure as an FRCPE, Dr. Ransford was an outspoken critic of homoeopathy, even blocking the election of a Fellow candidate who professed faith in homoeopathy. In 1839 he was elected a member of the Aesculapian Club.

Private practice

In 1848, Dr. Ransford resigned from his position in Edinburgh and entered into a

general practice General practice is the name given in various nations, such as the United Kingdom, India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to the services provided by general practitioners. In some nations, such as the US, similar services may be describe ...

partnership in

Alnwick Alnwick ( ) is a market town in Northumberland, England, of which it is the traditional county town. The population at the 2011 Census was 8,116. The town is on the south bank of the River Aln, south of Berwick-upon-Tweed and the Scottish bor ...

, Northumberland, England. It was during his time in Alnwick that Dr. Ransford first embraced homoeopathic medicine. After seeing its benefits with his patients, he began conducting his own homoeopathic experiments. He consulted with Dr. Rutherford Russell and Dr. Hayle of Rochdale. So swayed in his thinking, Dr. Ransford wrote an essay for the '' British Journal of Homoeopathy'' that was later made into a pamphlet entitled, "''Reasons for Embracing Homoeopathy''". Other homoeopathic articles written by Dr. Ransford include, "''The Prevention and Treatment of Scarlatina''" and "''The Pathogenic Symptoms of Mercurius''". Dr. Ransford eventually became the physician of the Duke of Northumberland, a prominent proponent of homoeopathy. Dr. Ransford later moved his practice to

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

, where he remained for ten years, after that removing to

Sydenham Sydenham may refer to: Places Australia * Sydenham, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney ** Sydenham railway station, Sydney * Sydenham, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne ** Sydenham railway line, the name of the Sunbury railway line, Melbourne un ...

where he practiced into the 1880s. He finally settled in Winchester, Hampshire.

Personal life

On 28 August 1833, Charles Ransford married St. Clair Inglis (1802-1910) at Leopold Place in Edinburgh,

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. Ransford's wife was a native of

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

and a member of the Smalls of Dirnanean. She was the granddaughter of Charles Spalding, an Edinburgh confectioner and an improver of the

diving bell A diving bell is a rigid chamber used to transport divers from the surface to depth and back in open water, usually for the purpose of performing underwater work. The most common types are the open-bottomed wet bell and the closed bell, which c ...

who drowned in

Dublin Bay Dublin Bay ( ga, Cuan Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a C-shaped inlet of the Irish Sea on the east coast of Ireland. The bay is about 10 kilometres wide along its north–south base, and 7 km in length to its apex at the centre of the city of Du ...

in 1783 while diving in a bell of his own design. Dr. Ransford's oldest daughter was Episcopalian Deaconess, Charlotte Spalding Ransford. A brother-in-law of Dr. Ransford, and a fellow physician, was Dr. James Inglis. Charles Ransford died on 11 July 1886 at The

Hospital of St. Cross The Hospital of St Cross and Almshouse of Noble Poverty is a medieval almshouse in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It has been described as "England's oldest and most perfect almshouse". Most of the buildings and grounds are open to the publ ...

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

, Hampshire, England.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ransford, Charles 1806 births 1886 deaths Alumni of the University of Edinburgh 19th-century British medical doctors