Person Nettleship; Edward (1845 - 1913); ophthalmic surgeon and eugenicist Nettleship Edward ophthalmic surgeon and eugenicist 1845 - 1913 British Male Kette ring, Northamptonshire, England 03 March 1845 18450303 Longdown Hollow, Hindhead, Surrey, England 30/10/1913 19131030 Cremation: Woking (3 November 1913) Burial: St Stephen's Church, Shottermill, on (4 November 1913)

ophthalmic surgeon Genetics Eye pathology Ophthalmology Education: Kettering grammar school (until 1860); Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester (1861–3); Royal Veterinary College; King's College Hospital MRCVS (1867); licentiate of the Society of Apothecaries (1867) Career: Returned to the Royal Agricultural College as a lecturer prior to deciding to focus on human medicine; obtained membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (1868), and its fellowship (1870); attracted the patronage of Jonathan Hutchinson as his assistant at the London Hospital and the Blackfriars Hospital for Skin Diseases; published the first description of the skin disorder urticaria pigmentosa (1869); appointed as librarian and curator of the Museum at Moorfields (1871-3), during which time he established himself as a meticulous scientific investigator, initially on eye pathology, and later on a variety of clinical topics; left Moorfields and took up the post of medical superintendent at the Ophthalmic School at Bow (1873–4) where he worked with pauper children and as a result was commissioned by a Local Government Board to report on conditions in the metropolitan poor law schools; took up staff appointments at the South London Ophthalmic Hospital (1873–8), St Thomas's Hospital (1878–95), Great Ormond Street Hospital (1880–81), and Moorfields (1882–98); conducted a successful private practice from 5 Wimpole Street, London (1875); operated on the former prime minister William Ewart Gladstone, to extract a cataract (May 1894); examined Queen Victoria for the same condition but advised against surgery (1896); retired from clinical practice (1902); began concentrating on application to his speciality of the developing science of genetics; suffered complications as a consequence of prostatic surgery (1911); developed cancer of the lower bowel and died despite receiving radiotherapy treatment (1913). Memberships: FRCS (1870) President of the Ophthalmological Society of the United Kingdom (1895–7) Parents: Henry John Nettleship (1807–1870), solicitor, and Isabella Ann (1818–1898), daughter of the Revd James Hogg, vicar of Geddington, Northamptonshire. Siblings: Seven siblings, including Henry Nettleship, John Trivett Nettleship, and Richard Lewis Nettleship. Spouse: Elizabeth Endacott Whiteway (b. 1843/4) from Compton in Devon, daughter of Richard Whiteway, a farmer (2 January 1869). Remembered for his work with hereditary eye disorders. Contrivuted to the research of ocular albinism, retinitis pigmentosa, and hereditary night blindness. In later life he actively supported the eugenics movement, whilst engaged on a study of albinism with Karl Pearson (FRS 1896). Fellow 02/05/1912 Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DNB International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/action/doSearch?ContribAuthorRaw=Nettleship%2C+Edward RCN 56744 3 Mar 1845 - 30 Oct 1913 The past Fellows entries are under continuous revision. If you have queries or additional information to contribute, please contact Library@royalsociety.org. Content in external sources is not controlled by the Royal Society and historical sources may include content that is now unacceptable. Reviewed on 06/03/2024 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA1422 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 17/03/2026 RS_NET\VirginiaM Yes 35d88894-da12-49b8-9564-d79850ccd6fd