Sir Henry Thompson papers, 1851-1913 and undated
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Summary
- Creator:
- Thompson, Henry, Sir, 1820-1904
- Abstract:
- Collection of letters to and from Sir Henry Thompson (1820-1904), an English surgeon and a founder of the Cremation Society of England. Most letters in this collection are largely polite and perfunctory notes between Thompson and peers; some correspondents include his wife, the pianist Kate Loder; Empress Frederick of Germany; King George V of England; and King Leopold II of Belgium. The collection documents Thompson's social status and activities between the 1850s and early 1900s. It contains few details about his medical practice, aside from some materials advocating for the adoption of the practice of cremation. Some materials are addressed to members of his family, including son Herbert Thompson. Letters are numbered and itemized inventory is included with the materials.
- Extent:
- 0.5 Linear Feet
- Language:
- Materials in English
- Collection ID:
- RL.10914
Background
- Scope and content:
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Collection of letters to and from Sir Henry Thompson (1820-1904), a white English surgeon who was a founder of the Cremation Society of England. Most letters in this collection are largely polite and perfunctory notes between Thompson and peers; some correspondents include his wife, the pianist Kate Loder; King George of England; and King Leopold II. The collection documents Thompson's social status and activities between the 1850s and early 1900s. It contains few details about his medical practice or personal life, but indicates many high-profile and celebrity acquaintances and contains some autographs (for example, Henry James). Letters are numbered and an itemized inventory is included with the materials. There is also a detailed correspondents' list, transcriptions of some of the more information-heavy letters, and an appraisal of the letters, conducted for the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation in 2003.
The original Trent Manuscripts Collection is foldered separately within the collection, and consists of the following items: ANS, a dinner invitation, and ALS, advocating the adoption of the practice of cremation. Items are accompanied by a bibliographic note describing Thompson's dinner parties.
- Biographical / historical:
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Originally from Suffolk, Henry Thompson was a white British surgeon and professor at the Royal College of Surgeons, specializing in the bladder and urinary tract. Thompson's surgical expertise and reputation led him to be appointed as surgeon-extraordinary to King Leopold I and II of Belgium; he also operated on Napoleon III shortly before his death. Thompson helped found the Cremation Society of England (now Great Britain) in 1874, and served as its first president. The society sought to legitimize the practice of cremation in Great Britain.
Thompson's other interests included painting, astronomy, and collecting Chinese porcelain. He was knighted in 1867 and became a baron in 1899.
Thompson married Kate Loder in 1851, and the couple had three children.
- Acquisition information:
- The initial Rubenstein collection consisted of two letters transferred through the Trent Manuscripts History of Medicine collection. (Their origins and acquisition history are unknown.) In 2019, the bulk of the collection was acquired through Accession 2019-0171, a transfer to Rubenstein Library by the Wisconsin Historical Society.
- Processing information:
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Processed by: Rubenstein Staff. Finding aid derived from MARC record using DukeMARC2EAD-HOMproject.xsl, December 2014. Accession 2019-0171 incorporated by Meghan Lyon, Oct. 2020.
- Physical facet:
- approximately 90 letters
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- General note:
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Forms part of the Trent Manuscripts Collection.
Subjects
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Contents
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- Restrictions:
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Collection is open for research.
- Terms of access:
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The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
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- Preferred citation:
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Sir Henry Thompson papers, 1851-1913, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.
- Permalink:
- https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m1gd7d