Sir Henry Holland, 1st Baronet

Sir Henry Holland, 1st Baronet FRS, DCL (27 October 1788 – 27 October 1873), was a British physician and travel writer.

Early life

Born in Knutsford, Cheshire, Holland was the son of the physician Peter Holland (1766–1853) and his wife Mary Willets. Peter's sister Elizabeth was the mother of the novelist Elizabeth Gaskell, and Mary was the niece of the potter Josiah Wedgwood. He studied medicine at Edinburgh University (MA, 1811).

Career

He had an extensive practice and was Domestic Physician to Caroline, Princess of Wales (briefly in 1814) and Physician Extraordinary to William IV and to Queen Victoria. He was also Physician in Ordinary to Queen Victoria in 1852.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in January, 1815 and served on the council three times. He was created a Baronet in 1853.

Travel

Holland gained fame through his travel writings, having travelled to Iceland and through the Balkans and the Iberian peninsula, while the British were at war with France. He was also a talented society physician, and between his good looks, his charm, and his experiences and conversation, he was much in demand.

Holland died on his 85th birthday, 27 October 1873, at his house in Brook Street, London.

Family

In 1822 he married, Margaret Emma Caldwell (1795–1830, known as Emma), with whom he had two sons and two daughters:

• Henry Holland, 1st Viscount Knutsford (1825–1914)
• Francis James Holland (1828–1907)
• Emily Mary Holland (1824–1908) married Charles Buxton; their son was Sydney Buxton, 1st Earl Buxton
• Elinor Anne Holland (1826–1829)

Emma died on 2 February 1830. He later became son-in-law to the wit Sydney Smith whose daughter, Saba, he married as his second wife, with whom he had two daughters:

• Caroline Holland (1834–1909), author of Notebooks of a Spinster Lady, publ. posth. 1919
• Gertrude Holland (1840–1898)