John C. Lettsome

Who was John C. Lettsome?

John Coakley Lettsome was an English physician and philanthropist. He was born on Little Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands, into one of the early Quaker settlements in the territory, and he grew up to be an abolitionist. His surname is sometimes spelled Lettsom, particularly during the period of his life during which he resided in the British Virgin Islands.

Lettsome founded the Medical Society of London in 1773, convinced that a combined membership of physicians, surgeons, and apothecaries would prove productive. His revolutionary idea met with success and the Society has provided a forum for all branches of the medical profession from its inception to the present. Situated at the heart of London's medical community at Lettsome House, Chandos Street, near Cavendish Square, this is the oldest medical society in the United Kingdom.

As founder, president, and benefactor Lettsome was the mainstay of the Society from 1773 until his death in 1815.