Combe , George , 1788-1858 , phrenologist

George Combe was born and educated in Edinburgh before practising as a lawyer. He first encountered phrenology in 1815 and, though initially sceptical, he and his brother Andrew soon became two of its leading exponents, co-founding the Edinburgh Phrenological Society in 1820. George Combe lectured extensively on phrenology and its relationships with religion, science, education and social systems, and wrote several books, including The Constitution of Man (1828). The actress Sarah Siddons was his mother-in-law.