William Appleton Meredith (1848-1916)

He was born in New York and accompanied his father to Europe at an early age. He was educated at Boulogne-sur-Mer (becoming fluent in French) before studying medicine at University College Hospital where he was House Surgeon to Sir John Erichsen, and served as Resident Medical Officer. He completed his studies at Edinburgh where he was Resident Medical Officer at the Infirmary. In Edinburgh, he attracted the attention of Joseph Lister and of his House Surgeon, Knowsley Thornton, and when, at Lister's suggestion, Thornton came to London to assist Sir Spencer Wells, Meredith came too. He eventually succeeded Thornton as Assistant to Spencer Wells, also helping Erichsen and administering anaesthetics for him. Thoroughly versed in Lister's methods, Meredith succeeded Wells and Thornton as a successful ovariotomist, "extremely careful to give attention to every detail, although rather slow"  - his results after ovariotomy and hysterectomy were "excellent". He built up an extensive practice after attending the Belgian Minister, Baron Van der Weyer, helped by his fluency in French.

He was described as, "forceful but genial". In 1886, he became a naturalized British subject and in London he lived at 21 Manchester Square. In 1885, he married Caroline, daughter of Henry A. Green, Merchant of Mackintosh, Green & Co., of Boston, Massachusetts. Mrs Meredith was a well-known collector of antique furniture and plate. For several years they kept a country house in Hertfordshire before retiring to Little Massingham Manor, King's Lynn, where he engaged in country pursuits and was appointed a J.P. for the county. He fell to his death after inspecting a skylight on his roof during a blackout in WWI.