News, Notes, and Queries Edward Jenner's Schooling SHOLEM GLASER*

Accounts of Edward Jenner's early seventeen years earlier, in Jenner's years and education are vague and lifetime, a slightly different account had confusing. Jenner, John Hickes and Caleb been given by the Rev. Thomas Fosbroke Hillier Parry all attended the Cirencester in an appendix to Smyth's Lives ofthe Grammar School, and the three are said to Berkeleys.2 He described vividly Jenner's have started their lifelong friendship inoculation with the smallpox virus at the during this time. In a small school all the age of eight years by Mr Holbrow of pupils shared a common classroom, all Wooton-under-Edge, "After this he went age groups were together and had to Cirencester to a school, at which he opportunities for fraternizing that are stayed half a year ... His health not being difficult in the modem segregated yet quite re-instated, he was consigned to classroom. (The school with its large the tuition of the Rev. Mr Clissold, at schoolroom is now a private house.) Wooton Underedge." Fosbroke, a friend of Baron writing the definitive biography the Jenner family for many years, stated of Jenner fifteen years after his death was that he derived his information about not greatly interested in his early years. Edward Jenner from friends and family. He referred to his school only briefly: His account does not exclude the "When about the age of eight years, possibility of Jenner's returning to Jenner was put to school at Wotton-under- Cirencester when he was fully recovered Edge, under the Rev Mr Clissold. He was from the debilitating effects of the next placed under the tuition of the Rev smallpox variolation. Dr Washbourn at Cirencester". And later Some definite dates have been found "His scholastic education being finished, recently which throw new light on the he was removed to Sodbury near Bristol, vague accounts of Jenner's schooling. The in order to be instructed in the elements of owner of the Old School House in surgery and pharmacy by Mr Ludlow an Cirencester has kindly provided a copy of eminent surgeon there."1 Baron did not the Order by Lord Chancellor Greaves give age or date for this event, but appointing Dr Washbourn as headmaster

*S Glaser, 54 Church Street, Bathford, Bath BAI 1839, pp. 275-304. Modem biographies of Jenner 7RS. state that he left school about the age of thirteen to be apprenticed to Mr Daniel Ludlow at Chipping 1 John Baron, Life ofJenner, London, Henry Sodbury. Richard B Fisher concludes that Jenner Colburn, 1838, vol. 1, p. 3. "left the Reverend Mr Washbourne after between two Dr Charles Parry, in an unsigned biography of his or three years, probably during the summer of 1751 father, wrote, "Young Parry received the rudiments (?) when he was twelve"; see Edward Jenner of his education at the school of the Rev. Mr 1749-1823, London, Andr6 Deutsch, 1991, pp. Washbourn, at Cirencester, and there formed with the 19-20. late Dr Jenner, a friendship which during the 2 Thomas Dudley Fosbroke, Smyth's lives of the remainder of their lives contributed to the advantage Berkeleys and biographical anecdotes ofDr Jenner, and happiness of both." See William Macmichael, London, John Nichols and Son, 1821, pp. 221-2. Lives ofBritish physicians, London, John Murray, 378 News, Notes and Queries in June 1764, when Jenner was about after beginning his apprenticeship with fifteen years old. If he had left at thirteen, Hardwick." 3 as commonly stated, he would not have No evidence has been found to establish been taught by Dr Washbourn, as Baron that such a change occurred, and there and Parry suggest. In addition, it now does not appear to have been any reason appears that the accepted story of Jenner's why Jenner should have switched masters. being apprenticed to Daniel Ludlow is Besides, Baron's own account is also incorrect. Dr Joan Lane of the Centre contradicted by a letter he himself for the Study of Social History, at the recorded.4 In 1797 Dr Hardwick of University of Warwick, who has been Sodbury wrote to Jenner, "Retired as I studying the indenture of medical have long since been . . . I shall feel apprentices in eighteenth-century England myself flattered to be noted by a man of has kindly provided the following your professional character, who was information about Edward Jenner's formerly (I am proud to say) my pupil." indenture: "Edward Jenner was This letter, the indenture and the date of apprenticed in 1765 to George Hardwick, Rev. Washbourn's appointment provide an apothecary of Chipping Sodbury for strong evidence that Jenner stayed at seven years and with £100 premium ... It school until he was sixteen, later than is possible that for some reason Jenner generally thought, when he became an was transferred to Ludlow as a master apprentice of George Hardwick.

3 Joan Lane, personal communication. 4 Baron, op. cit., note 1 above, p. 117. 379