Person

John Coakley Lettsom

1744–1815 · 18th century

John Coakley Lettsom was an English physician and philanthropist born to a Quaker family on Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands. He freed the slaves he inherited, built a large practice in London and founded the Medical Society of London in 1773. He also promoted dispensaries, sea-bathing hospitals and smallpox vaccination.

John Coakley Lettsom
Image: Johann Zoffany · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

British Virgin Islands

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). John Coakley Lettsom. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/john-coakley-lettsom
MLA
“John Coakley Lettsom.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/john-coakley-lettsom. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “John Coakley Lettsom.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/john-coakley-lettsom.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘John Coakley Lettsom’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/john-coakley-lettsom (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻