James Atkinson (1759–1839) was an English surgeon and

bibliographer Bibliography (from and ), as a discipline, is traditionally the academic study of books as physical, cultural objects; in this sense, it is also known as bibliology (from ). English author and bibliographer John Carter describes ''bibliography ...

Life

Atkinson was the son of a medical practitioner and friend of

Laurence Sterne Laurence Sterne (24 November 1713 – 18 March 1768), was an Anglo-Irish novelist and Anglican cleric who wrote the novels ''The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman'' and ''A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy'', published ...

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 ...

. He studied under

Henry Cline Henry Cline (1750–1827) was an English surgeon and president of the Royal College of Surgeons. He was also a political radical, associated with leading supporters of the French Revolution, a farmer, and a Fellow of the Royal Society. Life ...

and Thomas Denman. A

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

, he went into medical practice in York in 1782. He spent some time in continental travel. For many years Atkinson was the chief medical man in York, and remained in practice to within a few years of his death, which took place at the age of 80 at

Lendal Lendal is a street in the city centre of York, in England. History The street was first mentioned in the 1380s, when it was known as Aldeconyngstrete (Old Coney Street). However, by 1641, it had become known as "Lendal", a contraction of "St ...

, on 14 March 1839. He was buried at St Helen, Stonegate

Sterne portrait

Laurence Sterne, vicar at Sutton-on-the-Forest some miles north of York, moved into the city in 1739, returning in 1742. The Atkinson family connection with Sterne led to the preservation of what is considered likely to be the earliest Sterne portrait, via an engraving by

Charles John Smith Charles John Smith (1803–1838) was an English engraver. Life He was born in 1803 at Chelsea where his father, James Smith, practised as a surgeon. He was a pupil of Charles Pye, and became an engraver of book illustrations of a topographical a ...

. An oil caricature of Sterne by Thomas Bridges, painted as a double portrait with a caricature of Bridges by Sterne, was owned by Atkinson. It is known that Sterne in his part of the composite work followed closely an engraving ''The Infallible Mountebank, or Quack Doctor'', an old broadside satirising Hans Buling, after

Marcellus Laroon Marcellus Laroon or Lauron, the elder (1653–1702) was a Dutch-born painter and engraver, active in England. He provided the drawings for the popular series of prints "The Cries of London". Life He was born at The Hague, the son of Marcellus ...

. In 1761, before travelling to France, Sterne left behind details of the "lady" who was then owner of the oil portrait, with

Elizabeth Montagu Elizabeth Montagu (née Robinson; 2 October 1718 – 25 August 1800) was a British social reformer, patron of the arts, salonnière, literary critic and writer, who helped to organize and lead the Blue Stockings Society. Her parents were both ...

. The original oil painting is not now known to be extant. Atkinson showed it to

Thomas Frognall Dibdin Thomas Frognall Dibdin (177618 November 1847) was an English bibliographer, born in Calcutta to Thomas Dibdin, the sailor brother of the composer Charles Dibdin. Dibdin was orphaned at a young age. His father died in 1778 while returning to En ...

, who was on tour; Dibdin had it engraved. The reproduced double portrait then appeared in 1838 in ''Bibliographical, Antiquarian, and Picturesque Tour in the North Counties of England and Scotland''.

Works

His major work was ''Medical Bibliography, A and B'', London, 1834. It is full of anecdote, humour, and out-of-the-way information; but the bibliography consists of a dry list of editions arranged alphabetically under names of authors. There is nothing to show that it was the intention of Atkinson to go any further. On the title page Atkinson is described as "surgeon to H.R.H. the Duke of York, senior surgeon to the

York County Hospital York County Hospital (1740–1977) was a hospital in York, England. The building, which is grade II listed, has been converted for residential use. History The hospital has its origins in a small hospital established in Monkgate in April 1740. ...

and the

York Dispensary The York Dispensary is a historic building in the city centre of York, in England. The York Dispensary was established in 1788 in a room in Merchant Adventurers' Hall. It provided free treatment to poor patients, and its doctors undertook home ...

, and late V.P. to the

Yorkshire Philosophical Society The Yorkshire Philosophical Society (YPS) is a charitable learned society (charity reg. 529709) which aims to promote the public understanding of the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the archaeology and history of York and Yorkshire. ...

." A medical work attributed to Atkinson by

Henry Richard Tedder Henry Richard Tedder (25 June 1850 – 1 August 1924) was an English librarian. He was librarian of the Athenaeum Club, London, and was a founder of the Library Association. Life Tedder was born in 1850 in Victoria Grove, Kensington, London, son ...

in the first edition of the ''

Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'', ''Description of the New Process of perforating and destroying the Stone in the Bladder, illustrated with Cases and a Drawing of the Instrument, in a Letter addressed to the Medical Board of Calcutta'', London, 1831, was in fact by his namesake James Atkinson the orientalist. A rare and eccentric humorous work, ''Obstetric Ejaculations on Cow Pock'' (apparently privately printed in 1808), is attributed to Atkinson in the catalogue of the library of Francis Wrangham.

Family

Atkinson's youngest daughter, Mary, married General Sir James Charles Chatterton in 1825. His brother was the doctor Charles Atkinson, who wrote the "rural poem" ‘Neighbourhood of

Heslington Heslington is a suburban village and civil parish within the City of York district, in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England, south-east of the centre of York. Before 1974, it was a village in the Derwent Rural District, which was pa ...

’, dedicated to Henry Yarburgh of

Heslington Hall Heslington Hall is a Grade II* listed manor house near the village of Heslington, North Yorkshire, England, within the city of York. The hall is part of the campus of the University of York. The original house dated from 1565–8, but it was ...

References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Atkinson, James 1759 births 1839 deaths British surgeons British bibliographers Members of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society