Cheselden , William , 1688-1752 , surgeon and anatomist

William Cheselden was born in Somerby, Leicestershire, in 1688. He probably attended the free grammar school in Leicester. In 1703 Cheselden became apprenticed for 7 years with James Ferne, surgeon in London. He also studied anatomy under William Cowper. He completed his apprenticeship, and passed the final examination of the Barber-Surgeons' Company in 1711. He started a successful course of thirty-five lectures on anatomy, comparative anatomy, and animal economy (physiology), combined with indications for surgical operations, publishing the syllabus in 1711. He was appointed assistant surgeon at St Thomas's Hospital in 1718, and was made a principal surgeon within a year, enabling him to develop his own operative techniques, especially for bladder stone extraction. He was also appointed surgeon for the stone at the Westminster Infirmary and St George's Hospital. His methods had a good record of success. He was made Fellow of the Royal Society in 1711. His reports in the Transactions of the Royal Society included an examination of a skeleton in a Roman Urn at St Albans in 1712, and the restoration of sight in a thirteen year old boy in 1728. Cheselsden, as well as being known for successful lithotomies, was also well known as an eye surgeon. He was appointed surgeon to Queen Caroline in 1727. He resigned his hospital appointments in 1737, to take up the post of resident surgeon in the Royal Hospital, Chelsea. Cheselden was involved in the negotiations towards the separation of surgeons from barbers. He was admitted to the court of assistants of the Barber-Surgeon's Company in 1739, he became an examiner in surgery and by 1744 was renter warden. In 1745 the Company of Surgeons was established with John Ranby as master and Cheselden as senior warden. He died in 1752.