GB 0114 MS0239 - Clift, William Home (1803-1832)

1 box

GB 0114 MS0239 1825-1832 Collection (fonds) 1 box Clift , William Home , 1803-1832 , museum curator

Owen , Sir , Richard , 1804-1892 , Knight , naturalist

William Home Clift was born in London, in 1803. He was the youngest child of William Clift (1775-1849), museum curator and scientific illustrator, and was named after his godfather, Sir Everard Home, the surgeon and anatomist, and John Hunter's brother-in-law. His father and godfather were keen for him to continue the work of his father as conservator of the Hunterian Museum. The College records show that William Home Clift was already working in the Museum in 1818 and in 1823 he was officially appointed assistant conservator. One of the most important pieces of work he completed at the museum was the preparation of catalogues of the osteological section of the museum in 1830, and the Catalogue of Monsters and Malformed Parts in 1831. Biographers of John Hunter, and Sir Richard Owen (who was appointed as the second assistant in the museum in 1827) have attributed the preparation of these catalogues to Owen, not acknowledging William Home Clift's work. He died in 1832.

The notes of lectures were found with the papers of William Clift. The drawings were removed from a box of museum papers relating to natural history.

Papers of William Home Clift, 1825-1832, comprising manuscript notes and sketches by Clift, taken at lectures given by Sir Charles Bell, on topics including sensory organs, hernia, and lythotomy, 1827; notes and sketches by Clift and J Streeten, taken at lectures on surgery given by Sir Charles Bell, on topics including mechanical construction of the body, the structure and growth of teeth, and the nervous system, 1828; notes by Clift and Sir Richard Owen titled Rough Account of Diagrams, Preparations etc., used at the Lectures 1828, containing lists of diagrams for lectures by Sir Charles Bell and Joseph Henry Green; notes by Clift titled Lectures 1832. Mr Guthrie and Sir Charles Bell. Commenced Tuesday February 28th, Terminated Saturday May 5th. WH Clift; reports by Clift to the Board of Curators, on the progress of the catalogue of monsters and osteological items, and other activities in the museum, 1829-1831; and colour drawings of fish by Clift, 10 Jun 1825.

The lecture notes are arranged in chronological order, followed by the reports and the drawings.

By written appointment only.

No photocopying permitted.

English

Sketches by William Home Clift in MS0007/1/6/1/3 William Clift's research papers, Sketches of the Heads of Murderers.

Compiled by Anya Turner.

Source: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Sep 2008 Clift , William , 1775-1849 , museum curator and scientific illustrator Bell , Sir , Charles , 1774-1842 , Knight , surgeon Animals Zoology Aquatic animals Fish Teaching methods Lectures (teaching method) Pathology Diseases Hernia Secondary documents Catalogues Nervous systems Biology Sensory systems Anatomy Musculoskeletal system Bones Visual materials Drawings Medical sciences Surgery Royal College of Surgeons of England Hunterian Museum Clift , William Home , 1803-1832 , museum curator Owen , Sir , Richard , 1804-1892 , Knight , comparative anatomist and palaeontologist Guthrie , George James , 1785-1856 , surgeon Green , Joseph Henry , 1791-1863 , anatomist Illustrations

The notes of lectures were found with the papers of William Clift. The drawings were removed from a box of museum papers relating to natural history.

Papers of William Home Clift, 1825-1832, comprising manuscript notes and sketches by Clift, taken at lectures given by Sir Charles Bell, on topics including sensory organs, hernia, and lythotomy, 1827; notes and sketches by Clift and J Streeten, taken at lectures on surgery given by Sir Charles Bell, on topics including mechanical construction of the body, the structure and growth of teeth, and the nervous system, 1828; notes by Clift and Sir Richard Owen titled Rough Account of Diagrams, Preparations etc., used at the Lectures 1828, containing lists of diagrams for lectures by Sir Charles Bell and Joseph Henry Green; notes by Clift titled Lectures 1832. Mr Guthrie and Sir Charles Bell. Commenced Tuesday February 28th, Terminated Saturday May 5th. WH Clift; reports by Clift to the Board of Curators, on the progress of the catalogue of monsters and osteological items, and other activities in the museum, 1829-1831; and colour drawings of fish by Clift, 10 Jun 1825.

The lecture notes are arranged in chronological order, followed by the reports and the drawings.

By written appointment only.

No photocopying permitted.

• English

• Latin

English

Sketches by William Home Clift in MS0007/1/6/1/3 William Clift's research papers, Sketches of the Heads of Murderers.

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

• English