Hugh Chamberlen the elder, Doctor of Physik (Born 1634)

8^th Great Grandfather – FFFMFFMMFF¹

Hugh Chamberlen the younger was the son of Hugh Chamberlen the elder.

Hugh Chamberlen, styled the elder to avoid confusion with his son, also called Hugh, was born about 1634. According to Wikipedia, he was born in the parish of St Anne’s Blackfriars between 1630 and 1634, but no baptism record has been found (see “Hugh Chamberlen” 2023). This claim is probably based on (Aveling 1882, 125).

However I have found a baptism record from the parish of All Saints, Edmonton in Middlesex, where a Hugh Chamberlen, son of Peter Chamberlen and Jane his wife is baptised on 29^th September 1634. While many of his siblings were baptised at St Anne’s in Blackfriars, this baptism record is credible as this is where his parents were married and where his maternal grandparents lived, so it is very likely that Hugh was born while his mother Jane (nee Myddleton) Chamberlen was visiting her parents.

I have not been able to find any reference to Hugh’s education, especially to having a degree in Medicine, the first historical reference appears to be in the Journal of the House of Lords for 1661 where on 11^th September 1661, he is examined by Secretary Nicholas²

On 28^th May 1663, Hugh marries by license Dorothy Brett at St Paul Covent Garden³. Dorothy was the daughter of Colonel John Brett.

St Paul Covent Garden was a fairly new church, having been completed in 1633. It was designed by Inigo Jones as part of a commission for the 4^th Earl of Bedford to create “houses and buildings fit for the habitations of Gentlemen and men of ability”. It later became know as “The Actor’s Church” (see “St Paul’s, Covent Garden” 2023).

Hugh and Dorothy had 12 children, although only 5 of them 4 sons and one daughter are known to have reached adulthood. First to be born was Hugh, my 7^th great grandfather, who was baptised at St Christopher le Stocks in London on 30^th March 1664⁴.

While there is no evidence that Hugh was educated to be a Doctor, in October 1673 following a petition from his father he was appointed one of his Majesty Charles II’s Physicians⁵, and on 2^nd November 1681 he was admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Society⁶.

He published a number of Medical works, in particular a translation of Mauriceau’s treatise on midwifery which became a standard text-book on the subject (see “Hugh Chamberlen” 2023). In November 1690 he issued a pamphlet on a land bank scheme titled “Dr Hugh Chamberlen’s Proposal to make England Rich and Happy.” He lobbied Parliament agressively to consider the plan and in December 1693 he laid his plan before Parliament. Eventually a modified version was passed and received royal assent on 27^th April 1696, although Parliament was immediately prorogued and no action was taken on the plan⁷.

On 21^st March 1699 it was reported that Dr Chamberlen, the man midwife and sole contriver and manager of the Land-bank had retired to Holland on suspicion of debt⁸.

It is unclear when he died. There is no reference to him in England after 1700, but he was apparently still alive in 1720 in Holland (see “Hugh Chamberlen” 2023).

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