Holland, Henry, 1st Baronet (1788-1873)

Holland, Henry, 1st Baronet

PHYSICIAN, TRAVEL WRITER (ENGLAND)

BORN 27 Oct 1788, Knutsford, Cheshire - DIED 27 Oct 1873, London: Brook Street
GRAVE LOCATION London: St. Mary's Churchyard, Neasden Lane, Willesden (Vault next to the church)

Henry Holland was the son of the physician Peter Holland (1766-1853). Elizabeth, the sister of his father, was the mother of the novelist Elizabeth Gaskell and his maternal grandmother was a sister of Josiah Wedgwood. Henry Holland was educated by Rev. W. Turner in Newcastle-on-Tyne between 1799 and 1803. In Edinburgh he studied medicine, and he became a Medical Doctor in 1811. In 1810 he visited Iceland and from 1812 to 1813 he travelled in Europe. His travel writings were well known.

He was briefly physician to Caroline, Princess of Wales in 1814 and later to king William IV and Queen Victoria. In 1815 he was elected to the Royal Society. He started a practice in Mount Street in 1816. In 1820 he testified in favour of Caroline in the parliamentary enquiry against her. He stated that her conduct with Bergami was proper as far as he had witnessed.

In 1822 he married Amma Caldwell (1795-1830). They had two sons and two daughters. He became a fellow of the College of Physicians in 1828. After Emma's death he married Saba, the daughter of Richard Smith in 1834. With her he had two daughters. In 1839 he published "On the hypothesis of insect life as a cause of disease?". In 1836 he met Charles Darwin at a party, where he considered Darwin's journal not worthwhile to publish alone. It would be published as "The Voyage of The Beagle" in 1839.

Holland had declined a baronetcy in 1841, but he accepted it when it was offered to him again in 1853. His last trip abroad was to Russia. On his way home he witnessed the trial against Bazaine at Versailles on 24 October 1873. He died four days later in London.

Family
• Wife: Holland, Saba, Lady (1834-1866)

Related persons
• was physician to Caroline von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel
• is son-in-law/daughter-in-law of Smith, Sydney

Events

4/12/1836

Henry Holland considers Darwin's journal not worth while to be published alone. It was during a party organised by Fanny and Hensleigh Wedgwood after the Darwin's had returned from his voyage with the Beagle. Darwin thought that Holland talked much good sense. Both Darwin's future wife Emma Wedgwood and Hensleigh Wedgwood did not value Holland's opinion. Darwin's journal would become world famnous as "The Voyage of the Beagle" in 1839. [Wedgwood, Emma]