Sir Francis Henry Champneys, 1st Baronet, FRCP was an eminent obstetrician known for raising the status of midwives in the early twentieth century, by his campaigning for their training and certification and for supporting the founding of the History of Medicine Society in 1912.
10 Facts About Francis Champneys
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Francis Champneys was awarded a scholarship to be educated at Winchester College, one of the ancient public schools of England, and later Brasenose College, Oxford.
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Francis Champneys was a fellow of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society and was elected president of its successor organisation, the Royal Society of Medicine, in 1912.
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Francis Champneys supported Sir William Osler in the founding of The History of Medicine Society at The Royal Society of Medicine, London, in the same year.
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Francis Champneys particularly championed raising the status of midwives and was the main driving force of the Midwives Act 1902, which he did by being the first chairman of the Central Midwives' Board from 1902 until his death in 1930.
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Francis Champneys was the crown nominee from 1911 to 1926 of the General Medical Council.
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Francis Champneys was an amateur musician, studying under Charles Wesley at Winchester.
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Whilst at Brasenose, Francis Champneys composed a number of glees and madrigals, founding at the same time, a glees club.
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Francis Champneys married Virginia Julian Dalrymple, daughter of Sir John Warrender Dalrymple, on 12 September 1876.
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Francis Champneys died on 31 July 1930 at age 83 years at his Nutley home and was succeeded by his son, Weldon Dalrymple-Champneys, who became a physician.