Cleoburey, William (1793 - 1853)
by
 
Royal College of Surgeons of England

Asset Name
E001197 - Cleoburey, William (1793 - 1853)

Title
Cleoburey, William (1793 - 1853)

Author
Royal College of Surgeons of England

Identifier
RCS: E001197

Publisher
London : Royal College of Surgeons of England

Publication Date
2011-06-02

Subject
Medical Obituaries

Description
Obituary for Cleoburey, William (1793 - 1853), Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Language
English

Source
Plarr's Lives of the Fellows

Full Name
Cleoburey, William

Date of Birth
1793

Date of Death
17 February 1853

Occupation
General surgeon

Titles/Qualifications
MRCS December 3rd 1813
 
FRCS December 11th 1843, one of the original 300 Fellows

Details
Son of the Rev John Cleoburey and Margaretta his wife, was baptized at St Helen's Church, Abingdon, on Aug 17th, 1793. He was educated at Abingdon School, for he recited there twice on Speech Day, 1805. He was apprenticed to Mr Short, one of the surgeons of the Bedford Infirmary, and completed his medical education at St Bartholomew's Hospital as dresser to Sir Charles Blicke. He was for a short time House Surgeon to the City Dispensary for Diseases of the Eye, and acted as Demonstrator of Anatomy at St Bartholomew's Hospital. He settled in Oxford in 1814, became 'Chirurgus privilegiatus' of the University on June 16th, 1814, and was elected Surgeon to the Radcliffe Infirmary on May 13th, 1815, a post he held until 1853. During the whole of this time he was present and assisted at nearly all the operations performed in the Infirmary. As he lived in St John's Street close to the hospital he was generally asked by his colleagues to act for them when they were away. In ordinary practice he was favourably known as an oculist, but poor health and a private competence kept him from active competition with other surgeons in Oxford. He was also Consulting Surgeon to the Warneford and the Littlemore Asylums. He married on Nov 14th, 1820, Mary Ann Jones, of High Street, Oxford. He died on Feb 17th, 1853, and was buried in the churchyard of All Saints', Oxford. It is reported of Cleoburey that he was a skilful and beautiful operator, whose diagnosis was seldom wrong. He was wont to observe that "a good diagnosis is the most important element in success". His anatomical knowledge was of a high order, was held in great respect, and was frequently of use to his colleagues. He monopolized the ophthalmic practice both in the city and in the neighbouring counties - indeed, the Oxford Eye Hospital is the descendant of the large Eye Department which was part of Cleoburey's activity at the Radcliffe Infirmary. The two charities are independent, but the clinical relationship between them is cordial and intimate. In private life he lived much retired, but he kept himself abreast of medical knowledge, more especially in morbid anatomy, and he was widely read in subjects other than professional. His manner, especially to his hospital patients, was kind and benevolent, and no harsh or choleric word to them ever passed his lips. Publications: *System of Friction practised by John Grosvenor, Esq.*, Oxford, 1825. Grosvenor has the credit of being one of the earliest surgeons in England to apply massage to stiff joints and injured limbs. He was Surgeon to the Radcliffe Infirmary at Oxford from 1770-1817. He introduced 'a rubber nurse' into the infirmary in 1830, and the practice of massage as an aid to surgery has been carried on there continually since that date. *A Review of the Different Operations on the Eyes*, London, 1826.

Sources
A. G. Gibson's *The Radcliffe Infirmary*, Oxford, 1926, 165, 166 et auct. ibi cit

Rights
Copyright (c) The Royal College of Surgeons of England

Collection
Plarr's Lives of the Fellows

Format
Obituary

Format
Asset

Asset Path
Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001100-E001199

URL for File
373380

Media Type
Unknown