Henry Halford

Sir Henry Halford, 1st Baronet, GCH (2 October 1766 – 1844), born Henry Vaughan, was president of the Royal College of Physicians for 24 years. As the royal and society physician, he was physician extraordinary to King George III from 1793 to 1820, then as physician in ordinary to his three successors – George IV, William IV and the young Victoria. He also served other members of the Royal Family until his death. Early life Halford was born as Henry Vaughan at Leicester, the second but eldest surviving son of Dr. James Vaughan (27 March 1740 – 19 August 1813), an eminent physician at Leicester, and his wife, Hester (d. 2 or 7 April 1791), His brothers were Sir John Vaughan, judge; Peter Vaughan, Warden of Merton College, Oxford, and Dean of Chester; and Sir Charles Richard Vaughan, minister plenipotentiary to Switzerland and to the United States. He was educated at Rugby School, and there developed his love for classical literature. He went from Rugby to Christ Church, Oxford, where he matriculated in 1781, aged 15, and graduated B.A. & M.A. 1788, B.Med. 1790, D.Med. 1791. He also studied in Edinburgh (where he presumably studied the Scottish system of medicine).