Francis Laking

Infobox Medical Person
name = Sir Francis Henry Laking
box_width =


image_width = Sir Francis Laking, Bt
caption =
birth_date = birth date|1847|1|9
birth_place = Kensington, London, Middlesex, England
death_date = death date and age|1914|5|21|1847|1|9
death_place = Cleveland Row, St. James’s, London, England
profession = Physician
specialism =
research_field =
known_for = Physician to the Royal Household
years_active = 1870 - 1914
education = St. George’s Hospital
Heidelberg
work_institutions = St. George’s Hospital
Victoria Hospital for Children, Chelsea
prizes =
relations = married (1) Emma Ann Mansell
son Guy Francis Laking
married (2) ? Hackworth, no issue.

Sir Francis Henry Laking, 1st Baronet, GCVO, KCB, (January 9, 1847 Kensington - May 21, 1914 London) was an English physician who was Surgeon-Apothecary in Ordinary to Queen Victoria, and Physician in Ordinary to King Edward VII and King George V.

Life

He was educated firstly at St. George's Hospital taking diploma of L.R.C.P. in 1868, afterwards at Heidelberg taking L.S.A. as well as the degree of M.D. in 1869. He was house-physician at St. George’s Hospital in 1870, medical registrar from 1871 to 1874, and was at one time assistant physician to the Victoria Hospital for Children, Chelsea. Soon after leaving St. George’s he entered into partnership with the late Mr. Du Pasquier. Apothecary to the Royal Household, and his connexion with the Court in various capacities of ever increasing distinction continued until his death. He became Surgeon-Apothecary-in-Ordinary to Queen Victoria, Apothecary-in-Ordinary to the Royal Household, and to the household of the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Duke of Connaught, an office which he retained under King Edward VII and King George.obituary, "British Medical Journal", May 30, 1914, p.1216-7]

On March 29, 1901, after the accession of King Edward VII, he was appointed one of three Physicians in Ordinary, together with Sir William Henry Broadbent, Bt, and Sir James Reid, Bt (23 October 1849 - 28 June 1923).

Family

Francis, born January 9, 1847, [ [http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl?start=1847&end=1847&sq=1&eq=1&type=Births&vol=3&pgno=342&jsexec=1&mono=0&v=MTIxNjkwNDU2MjozZWQ3MThmZWM2MDdjMDFkN2ZlM2EzYzY3ZjcwOWE4MjAyMWE5N2U1&searchdef=given%3Dfrancis%26db%3Dbmd_1216156954%26sq%3D1%26v%3DMTIxNjkwNDUyMTo5YjFhZDJjMDk1ZmU1MjVkZmNiMDlhODJlYWRjNjU1OWYyN2I5MDll%26surname%3Dlaking%26end%3D1847%26type%3DBirths%26eq%3D4%26start%3D1847&action=Find FreeBMD birth registration] ] was the son of Francis William Laking (ca. 1797-1874), of Addison Road, Kensington, Middlesex, and Louisa Jane (née Wilkinson) (ca. 1818-1894). On January 26, 1875, he married [ [http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl?start=1875&end=1875&sq=1&eq=1&type=Marriages&vol=1a&pgno=690&jsexec=1&mono=0&v=MTIxNjkwNTUwMTo5YzhjYWI0YzIwODZkZTUzNjc5ZmE3NTZiZjgwMjA1Zjg1OTMzYWU4&searchdef=given%3Dfranc%26s_given%3Demma%26db%3Dbmd_1216156954%26type%3DMarriages%26sq%3D1%26v%3DMTIxNjkwNDUyMTo5YjFhZDJjMDk1ZmU1MjVkZmNiMDlhODJlYWRjNjU1OWYyN2I5MDll%26eq%3D4%26surname%3Dlaking&action=Find FreeBMD marriage registration] ] Emma Ann Mansell (1844 - March 1, 1905), daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Mansell. Their only son was Sir Guy Francis Laking who succeeded to the baronetcy, upon the death of his father. Secondly married the daughter of the late Mr. James Hackworth, of Dunedin, by whom he was survived.

Francis died [ [http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl?start=1914&end=1914&sq=2&eq=2&type=Deaths&vol=1a&pgno=551&jsexec=1&mono=0&v=MTIxNjkwNzA0NzozMjAxODVjNGQyZDRiNGQ5MzI5NjBjMWYxOTI5ZDg1OWRjNmQ2NDhj&searchdef=given%3Dfrancis%26db%3Dbmd_1216156954%26sq%3D1%26v%3DMTIxNjkwNDUyMTo5YjFhZDJjMDk1ZmU1MjVkZmNiMDlhODJlYWRjNjU1OWYyN2I5MDll%26surname%3Dlaking%26end%3D1914%26type%3DDeaths%26eq%3D4%26start%3D1914&action=Find FreeBMD death registration] ] at his residence at Cleveland Row, St. James’s, London on May 21, 1914. The funeral took place on May 25, 1914 at Queen's Chapel following which he was interred at Highgate Cemetery.

Honours

He was knighted in 1893, created Baronet Laking of Kensington, Middlesex, on July 28, 1902, a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in 1903, and a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 3 June 1910. [cite news | title = The King's Birthday, List of Honours | work = The Times | location = London | page = 8; col B | date = The Times, Friday, Jun 03, 1910; Issue 39289 | accessdate = 2008-09-27 | quote = K.C.B. Sir Francis Henry Laking, Bart., G.C.V.O., M.D. ...]

In addition he held foreign orders from the crowns of Denmark, Turkey, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Norway and Greece, and was also a commander of the Legion of Honour.

Eulogy

Delivered by Sir Frederick Treves, Sergeant Surgeon at the funeral of Francis Laking on May 25, 1914.

: Although the name of Sir Francis Laking will be familiar to every member of his profession in this country, there are comparatively few medical men who knew him personally. In disposition he was shy and retiring. He was rarely seen at the meetings of any of the societies; he avoided large gatherings, and had an almost acute dislike of public dinners.

: His reputation, it is needless to say, was based upon his long and honourable association with the Royal Family as medical attendant. I have often heard it said by those who little of Sir Francis that he must have been an accomplished courtier. In the sense in which that word is usually employed he was no courtier. The esteem and affection with which he was regarded by those he served depended upon higher qualities than make the reputation of a courtier. His unbroken success as a Court physician rested upon a sure knowledge of his work, upon consummate tact and sound judgement, but, above all, upon absolute and unswerving devotion to his illustrious patients, inspired by a kindness of heart and a genuine sympathy which were never surpassed in any medical man with whom I have had acquaintance.

: Sir Francis Laking’s gentle disposition, his simplicity of character, his intensely affectionate nature, and his almost feminine sensibility endeared him greatly to his friends, During my long and very intimate association with Sir Francis I have never heard him utter an unkind word of a single individual. There were many occasions when he might well have displayed resentment, by the always had some excuse to make for those who served him ill. He was generous to a fault, as free from vindictiveness as a child, eager to believe the best of all men, and in his many and complex undertakings absolutely without guile. His loyalty to his patients, as well as to his colleagues, was so unwavering as to be heroic. His discretion was a sterling virtue, while no man ever kept a secret with firmer faith. His sense of duty was paramount, and nothing would turn him from the course that he believed to be right.

: Being a singularly keen observer, there were few things that escaped his notice, while I have met no shrewder judge of the characters of men. Although he was profoundly interested in all that was new in medicine, he insisted that in some details of practice the older fashion should be followed. With this in view, he developed to the highest point of perfection the almost forgotten art of prescribing. He devoted infinite pains to his prescriptions, writing them always in the orthodox form and heading them with the date in full in Latin. He claimed that no medicine need be nasty, and went some way to make evident his conviction.

: He was a most charming companion, being possessed of a lively humour and a vivid interest in a very miscellaneous variety of subjects. He had almost a passion for whatever was curious, especially in science, in botany, and in natural history. As a regular attendant at the lectures of the Royal Institution he never left a discourse without adding to his store of odd things, or memorable sayings. He had a remarkable knowledge of geology and particularly of mineralogy. His series of specimens — collected by himself — to illustrate his views as to the formation of flints in chalk show extraordinary acumen and considerable study. On occasions when he was sorely tried and worried — and such occasions were not rare — nothing would restore him more effectually than the production of a piece of ore a little out of the common, His knowledge of trees and plants was wide, and afforded him great enjoyment during his periods of duty at Balmoral. At one time, when he was the tenant at Blount’s Farm near Henley, he became quite an authority on gardening. The sea did not interest him, and his stay on the royal yacht would be largely occupied in testing the latest curiosities in optical instruments, These were almost as numerous as his clocks, of which he kept no less than twelve going in his consulting-room alone.

: As an astute connoisseur of old silver he will be known to many, while more than once he has brightened a tedious professional conversation by suddenly bringing a silver milk-jug, or some such piece of plate, out of his pocket. His acquaintances will recall with admiration his collection of seals and his display of punch ladles, as well as the infinite variety of strange objects he could produce out of any number of drawers, when he was in a mood to show his treasures. His many hobbies kept his leisure fully occupied, and provided him with an excuse for the fact that he never took, nor even pretended to take, any exercise. Indeed I have never known a man take less, yet until quite recent years, his general health was excellent, while the amount of fatigue he could endure was astonishing.

: In appearance and bearing he represented a fine realization of the esteemed physician; his immaculate dress, his kindly face, his quiet voice, and the old world dignity of his manner, all helped to form a conception of a type that could not well be improved upon.

: Above all he was a lovable man who inspired in those with whom he was closely associated that affection which he bestowed in such generous measure upon all who could call him friend.

Recent Controversy

In 2004, Norwegian biographer Tor Bomann-Larsen put forward the hypothesis that King Olav V of Norway was not the biological son of King Haakon VII, but his mother, Queen Maud, had been, in 1902 in London, artificially inseminated by Sir Francis Laking.

Notes

External References

Existing public documents

* [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=6&CATID=5954024&j=1 BARONETS: Laking of Kensington]
* [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=6&CATID=5942166 COLLEGE OF ARMS: Sir Francis Henry Laking]

Persondata
NAME = Laking, Francis Henry
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Laking, Sir Francis Henry
SHORT DESCRIPTION = physician
DATE OF BIRTH = January 9, [1847]
PLACE OF BIRTH = Kensington, London, Middlesex, England
DATE OF DEATH = May 21, 1914
PLACE OF DEATH = St._James's London, Middlesex, England