William Bewley (1726–83) was an English physician.

Life

A friend of

Charles Burney Charles Burney (7 April 1726 – 12 April 1814) was an English music historian, composer and musician. He was the father of the writers Frances Burney and Sarah Burney, of the explorer James Burney, and of Charles Burney, a classicist a ...

, he was a native of Massingham,One or other of the neighbouring villages of

Great Massingham Great Massingham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It has a primary school (including a pre-school in the grounds), a village shop, a pub (Dabbling Duck), a village hall and a church (St Mary's). There is also a spor ...

and

Little Massingham Little Massingham is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is located on the northern boundary of Great Massingham. It covers an area of and had a population of 74 in 37 households at the 2001 census.

. in Norfolk, where he practised medicine. He made for himself some scientific reputation and was a friend of

Joseph Priestley Joseph Priestley (; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, natural philosopher, separatist theologian, grammarian, multi-subject educator, and liberal political theorist. He published over 150 works, and conducted exp ...

, whom he once visited at

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

. It is through his friendship with Dr. Burney that his name has been preserved. He is mentioned more than once in

Madame d'Arblay Frances Burney (13 June 1752 – 6 January 1840), also known as Fanny Burney and later Madame d'Arblay, was an English satirical novelist, diarist and playwright. In 1786–1790 she held the post as "Keeper of the Robes" to Charlotte of Mecklen ...

's ''Memoirs'' of Burney, her father. We are told that on account of the simplicity of his life and the nature of his pursuits he was known as 'the philosopher of Massingham' and that he was as remarkable for his wit and conversational powers as for the extent of his knowledge of science and literature. Bewley died at Burney's house in St. Martin's Street,

Leicester Square Leicester Square ( ) is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. It was laid out in 1670 as Leicester Fields, which was named after the recently built Leicester House, itself named after Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester ...

, London, on his birthday, 5 September 1783. An obituary notice written by Burney for the ''

Gentleman's Magazine ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' was a monthly magazine founded in London, England, by Edward Cave in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1922. It was the first to use the term ''magazine'' (from the French ''magazine'' ...

'' was in Madame d'Arblay's ''Memoirs''. It is here said that "Mr. Bewley for more than twenty years supplied the editor of the "Monthly Review" with an examination of innumerable works in science and articles of foreign literature, written with a force, spirit, candour, and — when the subject afforded opportunity — humour, not often found in critical discussions."

References

;Attribution

Sources

*''Gentleman's Magazine'', vol. 53, pt. 2 (1783), p. 805. 18th-century English medical doctors 1783 deaths Year of birth unknown 1726 births People from King's Lynn and West Norfolk (district) {{England-med-bio-stub