John Lawson d.1705

John LAWSON d.1705

Biographical Note

Born in London. BA Queens' College, Cambridge 1652, MA 1656; MD at the University of Padua, 1659. Established himself as a physician in London; admitted a candidate of the Royal College of Physicians 1660, fellow 1674, censor 1676, president 1694. Noted by Munk as "an accomplished scholar and good linguist, well versed in Arabic, Coptic, and other oriental languages".

Books

In a codicil to his will, Lawson bequeathed "all my library of books save such as my wife shall think fit to choose and take for her own use ... unto Sion College in London to be conveniently placed together there and forever kept for the benefit of the said College". The bequest amounted to ca.1100 volumes; the Court minutes note that the books were not to be kept together as a separate collection, this being contrary to their usual practice.

Sources

• Munk, W. The roll of the Royal College of Physicians of London. 2nd edn. London, 1878.
• Pearce, E. Sion College and Library, 1913, 263-4.
• Venn, J. & J. A. Alumni Cantabrigienses. Cambridge, 1922.