RADCLIFFE, Jonx (16501714). A cele brated English physician, and the founder of the Radcliffe Library at Oxford. Born at Wakefiell, in Yorkshire, and instructed in Greek and Latin at the grammar school of his native town, at the age of fifteen he was sent to University College, Oxford. In 1672 he took his degree of M.A., ap plied himself to the study of medicine, and hav ing taken his degree of M.B. in 1675. began to practice as a licentiate at Oxford. He imme diately made himself conspicuous by the origi nality of his ideas. In less than two years his skill had made him famous. In 1682 he took the degree of M.D. In 1684 Radcliffe removed to London, where in less than a year he became the most popular physician of his time. In 1686 the Princess Anne of Denmark made him her physician. After the Revolution he was sent for by King William frequently, and the example of the sovereign was followed by most of the nobility and influential persons about the Court.
In 1694 he was called upon to attend Queen Mary when attacked by the smallpox, in her last illness, as Dr. Radcliffe predicted, before seeing her, merely upon reading the prescriptions of the other physicians in attendance before he was sent for. Being himself ill, lie was unable to
attend Queen Anne durinrr her last illness, and her death preceded his by a few months. In 1713 he was elected M.P. for Buckingham. Dr. Radcliffe died at Carshalton, and was buried at Oxford in Saint Mary's Church with much cere mony. He died possessed of considerable prop erty, the whole of which be bequeathed to public uses. Thus, to University College he left his estate in Yorkshire. in trust, for the endowment of two traveling fellowships, and the purchase of perpetual advowsons, together with £5000 for the enlargement of the college buildings. He left £40.000 for the erection of a public library in Oxford, since known as the Radcliffe Library, which he endowed with £150 per annum for a li brarian, and £100 per annum for the purchae of books. The Radcliffe Observatory at Oxford was erected through his munificence. He also bequeathed a legacy to Saint Bartholomew's Hos pital. London.