Heritage Centre : History :

Biographical Research

An unlikely resource for family history research? On the contrary, the College's historical collections hold a wealth of information, not just for the academic researcher, but also for individuals seeking information on their medical predecessors.

Yes, we certainly have Munk's Roll, which contains the biographical details of Fellows of the College stretching from the foundation of the College in 1518 to the present day. This set of volumes of obituaries, more formally known as Lives of the Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians, is a unique resource for information on the lives of individuals who were represented by and worked on behalf of this College.

Keeping step with new technology, this resource is accessible online for all those who are unable to visit the library in person. A quick search on Munk's Roll, will give the volume and page reference for each fellow's entry. We also have the full text of some of those entries available on the College's website.

Browsing along the shelves in the library reading room, you will find full sets of both the Medical Directory (1845 to the present day) and the Medical Register (1859 to the present day) for practising doctors.

If the individual you are interested in practised medicine in the 18th century, we have Eighteenth century medics for you to look through.

If your predecessor practised medicine in one of the English counties in the first half of the seventeenth century, you may find them in Raach's English country physicians 1603-1643 . Or the more metropolitan medical practitioner may have a mention in Bloom and James' Medical practitioners in the diocese of London . 1529-1725 .

You may even discover an interesting obituary in either the British Medical Journal (1857 to the present day) or The Lancet (1823 to the present day).

Whether you are searching for details about an individual physician practising in the past, or are just interested in medicine during the last five centuries, the library reading room has a wealth of resources and a knowledgeable staff.

Making the most of web based technologies to continue provide a comprehensive service to remote audiences, our printed books catalogue is available for you to search our collection of historical and modern printed works on all aspects of the history of medicine.

Any visit to the library should include a quick look into the Archives. We have deposited papers from many previous fellows and members of the College, covering a huge range of subjects on both personal and professional matters. These date from the late sixteenth century to the present day.

A number of institutions and societies who can provide you with help and advice in researching your family history are listed below:

Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives

Web site: http://www.agra.org.uk/
Email: agra@agra.org.uk

Guildhall Library

Aldermanbury
London EC2P 2EJ
Telephone: +44 ( 0)20 7332 3803
Web site: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/leisure_heritage/libraries_archives_museums_galleries/

London Metropolitan Archives Family History Service

London Metropolitan Archives
40 Northampton Road
London EC1R 0HB
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7332 3820
Email: ask.lma@corpoflondon.gov.uk
Web site: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/family-research/index.htm

Society of Genealogists

14 Charterhouse Buildings
Goswell Road
London
EC1M 7BA
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7251 8799
Email: genealogy@sog.org.uk
Website: http://www.sog.org.uk/
The society includes a comprehensive list of links to family history organisations and resources on its web site at www.sog.org.uk/links.html#gen

Wellcome Library for the History and Understanding of Medicine

History of Medicine Collections
183 Euston Road
London
NW1 2BE
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7611 8722
Email library@wellcome.ac.uk

Access to Archives (BBC2 Who do you think you are?)

A special page drawing on some of the themes from the BBC2 Who Do You Think You Are? family history series and demonstrating some relevant searches is available on the Access to Archives website at

http://www.a2a.org.uk/family/bbcfamily.asp

National Archives (BBC2 Who do you think you are?)

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/familyhistory/bbc/

 


This page last updated on July 4, 2006