20 Facts About Wilmot Herringham

Wilmot Parker Herringham was born at Guildford on 17 April 1855, the son of William Walton Herringham and Matilda Anne Parker.

Wilmot Herringham then matriculated at the University of Oxford in 1873 as a member of Keble College, studying classics.

Wilmot Herringham obtained a second-class degree in classics in 1877, and then studied medicine, obtaining his medical degrees in 1882.

Wilmot Herringham started his medical career at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, and was appointed consultant physician in 1904; he held this post until 1919.

Wilmot Herringham was knighted in 1914, and advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1919; he was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1915.

At the outbreak of the First World War, Herringham was a lieutenant-colonel in command of the medical unit of the London University OTC.

Wilmot Herringham was already sufficiently well known that his army appointment was reported in the New York Times under the headline "Famous Doctors to Front".

Wilmot Herringham was among the first doctors to examine the victims of the use of poison gas at the second Battle of Ypres.

Wilmot Herringham was one of the contributors to a report to Lord Kitchener, the British Secretary of State for War five days after the initial attack.

Wilmot Herringham continued to take an interest in the treatment of poison gas victims for the rest of the war.

Wilmot Herringham stood as a candidate for parliament in 1918 for the London University seat.

Wilmot Herringham was offered the position of Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford in 1920, but refused, considering himself to be unsuitable to the post.

Wilmot Herringham was vice-chancellor of the University of London between 1912 and 1915.

Wilmot Herringham served as chairman of the General Nursing Council for England and Wales between 1922 and 1926, and was a member of the council of Bedford College, University of London, at the time a college for women.

Wilmot Herringham was appointed an Honorary Fellow of Keble in 1931.

Wilmot Herringham died on 23 April 1936 at his sister's home in Lymington.

Wilmot Herringham's wife became a celebrated Edwardian artist and patron of the arts.

In 1906, Wilmot Herringham accompanied her to India where on this and another visit, she made copies of the Buddhist cave paintings at Ajanta near Hyderabad, which were deteriorating badly.

Wilmot Herringham contributed a brief description of their expedition to the published edition of the paintings.

In 1916, Wilmot Herringham was cited as a co-respondent in a divorce case brought by William Rothenstein.