GB 0100 G/PP1/21 - GUNNING, John (d 1798)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0100 G/PP1/21

Title

GUNNING, John (d 1798)

Date(s)

  • 1792, 1946 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

5 items

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

John Gunning was Assistant surgeon to St George's Hospital, London, from 21 Jan. 1760 to 4 Jan. 1765, and full surgeon from that date till his death.
In 1773 he was elected steward of anatomy by the Surgeons' Company, but paid the fine rather than serve. In 1789 he was elected examiner, and in the same year he was chosen master of the company. In 1790 Gunning was appointed the first professor of surgery; but he soon resigned on the plea that it occupied too much of his time, and no new appointment was made.
Gunning was in general opposed to his colleague at St. George's, John Hunter. The quarrel rose to a great pitch when a surgeon was elected in succession to Charles Hawkins. Keate was supported by Gunning, and Home by Hunter, and after a sharp contest Keate was elected. A dispute ensued about fees for surgical lectures, which led to a controversy between Gunning, senior surgeon, supported by two of his colleagues, and Hunter. It ended in John Hunter's dramatically sudden death on 16 Oct. 1793, immediately after being flatly contradicted by one of his colleagues, apparently Gunning.
Gunning had been appointed surgeon-general of the army in 1793, on the death of John Hunter; he was also senior surgeon extraordinary to the king. He died at Bath on 14 February 1798.

Archival history

Donated to Guy's Hospital Library by Sir Charles Symonds, Jul 1946.
GB 0100 G/PP1/21 1792, 1946 Collection (fonds) 5 items Gunning , John , d 1798 , surgeon

John Gunning was Assistant surgeon to St George's Hospital, London, from 21 Jan. 1760 to 4 Jan. 1765, and full surgeon from that date till his death.
In 1773 he was elected steward of anatomy by the Surgeons' Company, but paid the fine rather than serve. In 1789 he was elected examiner, and in the same year he was chosen master of the company. In 1790 Gunning was appointed the first professor of surgery; but he soon resigned on the plea that it occupied too much of his time, and no new appointment was made.
Gunning was in general opposed to his colleague at St. George's, John Hunter. The quarrel rose to a great pitch when a surgeon was elected in succession to Charles Hawkins. Keate was supported by Gunning, and Home by Hunter, and after a sharp contest Keate was elected. A dispute ensued about fees for surgical lectures, which led to a controversy between Gunning, senior surgeon, supported by two of his colleagues, and Hunter. It ended in John Hunter's dramatically sudden death on 16 Oct. 1793, immediately after being flatly contradicted by one of his colleagues, apparently Gunning.
Gunning had been appointed surgeon-general of the army in 1793, on the death of John Hunter; he was also senior surgeon extraordinary to the king. He died at Bath on 14 February 1798.

Donated to Guy's Hospital Library by Sir Charles Symonds, Jul 1946.

Transferred from Guy's Hospital Medical School Library in 2002.

Papers of John Gunning, relating to the regulations for the teaching of pupils, dressers and apprentices at Guy's Hospital, including letter to Gunning from Joseph Warner, 29 Dec 1792, describing regulations in the hospitals in 1734; letter to Gunning from William Lucas, [1792] also describing the system for apprentices, dressers and pupils; also three manuscript copies of regulations.

As described in scope and content

Open, subject to signature on readers' undertaking form.

Copies, subject to condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Director of Archive and Corporate Records Services.
English

Detailed catalogue

Sources: Mr Guy's Hospital 1726-1948, H C Cameron, Longmans Green and Co Ltd, London, 1954; Dictionary of National Biography CD-ROM (Oxford University Press, 1995). Compiled by Alison Field

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.

June 2004 England Europe Gunning , John , d 1798 , surgeon Guy's Hospital , London Higher science education London Lucas , William , fl [1792] Medical education Medical profession Medical sciences Southwark Surgery UK Warner , Joseph , 1717-1801 , surgeon Western Europe

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Transferred from Guy's Hospital Medical School Library in 2002.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers of John Gunning, relating to the regulations for the teaching of pupils, dressers and apprentices at Guy's Hospital, including letter to Gunning from Joseph Warner, 29 Dec 1792, describing regulations in the hospitals in 1734; letter to Gunning from William Lucas, [1792] also describing the system for apprentices, dressers and pupils; also three manuscript copies of regulations.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

As described in scope and content

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open, subject to signature on readers' undertaking form.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copies, subject to condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Director of Archive and Corporate Records Services.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Detailed catalogue

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

King's College London College Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

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.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area