Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Clephane, John

by Gordon Goodwin

CLEPHANE, JOHN, M.D. (d. 1758), physician, a Scotchman, took his degree of M.D. at St. Andrews on 29 May 1729. He acted as physician to the army in the Low Countries. He was appointed physician to St. George's Hospital on 8 May 1751, and admitted a licentiate of the College of Physicians on 25 June 1762. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society on 8 Jan. 1746, but was not admitted until 4 May 1749. Clephane died in the Isle of Wight on 11 Oct. 1758. He was in the expedition to Quiberon Bay in 1746 under General St. Clair. He was afterwards the familiar friend and correspondent of David Hume, St. Clair's secretary.

[Munk's Coll. of Phys. (1878), ii. 180-1; Gent. Mag. xxviii. 504, 505; Scots Mag. xx. 553; Burton's Life and Correspondence of D. Hume]

G. G.