FRANCIS
FRANCIS
their name. The original name was
O'Catharnaigh, and this family originally
owned the major part of the county of
West Meath and a part of the barony of
Kilcoursey, in King's County, Ireland.
About 1185, A. D., because of some deed
of valor in war by one of the O'Cathar-
naigh lords, he was called "An Sion-
nach" (The Fox); thereafter all of his
descendants to the present have borne the
name. Galtrim House, now the prop-
erty of Hubert Fox, Esq., still stands
near Dublin, the last remaining monu-
ment of this family name and estate in Ire-
land. Upon one of the walls of this house
still hangs an old oil painting representing
Queen Elizabeth in the act of re-granting
certain tracts of land to Matthew Fox
and his four sons, James, John, Joseph
and William, and conferring on the eldest
the title of Lord of Kilcoursey. The
Queen stands with parchment in hand, the
Earl of Leicester near her, and the five
Foxes standing in front of them. Copies
of this picture were made some twenty
years ago by Melville E. Stone of
Chicago, a relative of the Fox's, then
traveling in Europe.
The professional success of William H. Fox became an inspiration to young men of his family connection, several of whom studied and practised under him, so that, to-day, there are numerous physicians of the Fox family throughout the state. A. O. F.
History of Dane County, Wis., vol. iii,
issue of 1906.
"The Fox Family," a private publication by
Melville E. Stone, 1890.
Francis, Samuel Ward (1835-1886).
This New York physician who did so much biographically to perpetuate the memory of his confreres was born on De- cember 26, 1835, the son of Dr. John W. and Mary Eliza Cutler Francis. His mother was a grand-niece of Gen. Francis Marion and a relative of Charlotte Corday.
Samuel Ward took his A. B. and A. M. from Columbia College, New York, and his M. D. in 1860 from the University of New York. In 1859 he married Harriet
H., daughter of Judge McAllister of Cali-
fornia. When he became M. D. he also
became physician for diseases of the head
and abdomen at the New York Dispen-
sary, but he is best known for his writings
which included :
"Report of Prof. Valentine Mott's Surgical Clinics in the University of New York," 1859-60 (Mott prize essay).
"Life and Character of Prof. Valentine Mott."
" Biographical Sketches of Distin- guished Living New York Surgeons," 1866.
" Biographical Sketches of Distin- guished Living New York Physicians," 1867.
"Curious Facts Concerning Man and Nature," 1874, and with additions in 1875.
"Invention of Transparent Treat- ment."
He also patented twelve inventions including a gynecological examining table and a device for heating and venti- lating railroad cars.
Obituary. Newport Daily News, 1886,
March, 26.
Am. Phrenol. Jour., N. Y„ 1857, vol. xxvi.
Med. Rec., N. Y., 1886, vol. xxix.
TV. Rhode Island M. Soc, 1SS6, Providence,
1887, vol. iii.
Francis, John Wakefield (17S9-1861).
John Wakefield Francis, medical edi- tor and writer, had for father a German immigrant who kept a grocer's shop in New York where John was born on No- vember 17, 1789.
First a printer's apprentice, he after- wards went to Columbia University and graduated thence in 1809 and from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, in 1811, between these years study- ing under Hosack and becoming his part- ner on graduating.
One year before this Hosack started "The Medical and Philosophical Regis- ter." Up to 1812 it appeared anony- mously, but thereafter with the co-edi- toria] names of Hosack and Francis, the latter able to sign himself professor of the institutes of medicine and materia hum lien
