Dr. Jenner's House, formerly known as the Edward Jenner Museum, in

Berkeley Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California * George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer ...

, England, is housed in a grade II*

listed Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...

early 18th century building called the Chantry, famous as the home of

Edward Jenner Edward Jenner, (17 May 1749 – 26 January 1823) was a British physician and scientist who pioneered the concept of vaccines, and created the smallpox vaccine, the world's first vaccine. The terms ''vaccine'' and ''vaccination'' are derived f ...

FRS, physician, surgeon and pioneer of

smallpox vaccination The smallpox vaccine is the first vaccine to be developed against a contagious disease. In 1796, British physician Edward Jenner demonstrated that an infection with the relatively mild cowpox virus conferred immunity against the deadly smallpox ...

, and now used as a museum.

History

The Chantry was built in the village of Berkeley in the early 18th century and gained its name from being built on land associated with a former community of monks, next to the village church. Edward Jenner bought the property, owned by the Weston family, in 1785, and moved there before his marriage to Catherine Kingscote in 1788. Jenner planted

ivy ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and ...

that in later years grew up the sides of the adjacent church tower, and a grapevine in a vinery built against the Chantry. He also had the Reverend Mr Ferryman build a rustic hut at the bottom of the garden where Jenner treated the poorer families in the district. Jenner later did vaccinations in it and referred to it as "the Temple of Vaccinia". Jenner was living at the Chantry when he conducted the first ever vaccinations in 1796 and 1798 which showed the potential for the control smallpox. Although Jenner briefly maintained homes in Cheltenham and London the Chantry remained his principal residence until his death in 1823. In 1876 Jenner's descendants sold the house to the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

, who used it as the local vicarage.
History of The Chantry
'', The Jenner Museum, accessed 11 April 2012.

Museum

In 1985 the Chantry was purchased by the Edward Jenner Museum, dedicated to the work of the doctor and wider

immunology Immunology is a branch of medicineImmunology for Medical Students, Roderick Nairn, Matthew Helbert, Mosby, 2007 and biology that covers the medical study of immune systems in humans, animals, plants and sapient species. In such we can see there ...

; the Japanese businessman Ryoichi Sasakawa donated a significant sum to enable the acquisition. Restoration work was gradually carried out over the following years, allowing more of the building to be opened to the public. The chantry building holds grade II* listed status, as does the rustic "Temple of Vaccinia" in the garden.

References

Bibliography

External links

Dr. Jenner’s House
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dr. Jenner's House Grade II* listed houses in Gloucestershire Historic house museums in Gloucestershire Jenner

Museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

Medical museums in England Berkeley, Gloucestershire