Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Schomberg, Raphael
SCHOMBERG, RAPHAEL or RALPH (1714–1792), physician and miscellaneous writer, eldest son of Meyer Löw Schomberg [q. v.], was twin-brother of Isaac Schomberg [q. v.], and was born at Schweinberg on 14 Aug. 1714. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School from 1726, and studied medicine at Rotterdam. He graduated M.D. from Aberdeen. For a time he practised at Yarmouth, being resident there on 16 July 1752, the date of his election as F.S.A. About 1761 he established himself at Bath. He then removed to Reading, died at Castle Street in that town on 29 June 1792, and was buried at St. George's-in-the-East, London. He was married, on 8 April 1742, to Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Joseph Crowcher, merchant, of London, and master of the Vintners' Company in 1752. She died at Castle Street, Reading, in 1807, and was buried with her husband. They had issue ten children, most of whom died young; two of them, Alexander Crowcher Schomberg [q. v.] and Isaac Schomberg (1753–1813) [q. v.], are separately noticed. Ralph's portrait, painted by Gainsborough, was sold in 1862 by J. T. Schomberg, Q.C., to the trustees of the National Gallery. It was engraved by W. T. Fry.
Schomberg, who was tersely described as ‘long a scribbler, without genius or veracity’ (Reed, Biogr. Dramatica, i. 635–6), was author of: 1. ‘Ode on the Present Rebellion,’ 1746. 2. ‘Account of the Present Rebellion,’ 1746. 3. ‘Aphorismi Practici, sive Observationes Medicæ,’ 1750; dedicated to J. S. Bernard, M.D., of Amsterdam. 4. ‘Prosperi Martini annotationes in cæcas prænotiones,’ 1751. 5. ‘Physical Rhapsody’ (anon.), 1751. 6. ‘Gerardi L. B. van Swieten commentariorum in Boerhaave aphorismos compendium,’ 1762. 7. ‘Van Swieten's commentaries abridged,’ vol. i. 1762, ii. 1768, iii. and iv. 1774. 8. ‘Treatise on Colica Pictonum,’ translated from Tronchin, 1764. 9. F. Duport de Signis Morborum, edited with a few notes, 1765. 10. ‘Death of Bucephalus,’ a burlesque tragedy acted at Edinburgh, 1765. 11. ‘Life of Mæcenas,’ 1748, 2nd edit. 1766; this was based on the works of Meibomius and Richer. 12. ‘Essai sur la Conformité de la Médecine Ancienne et Moderne dans le Traitement des Maladies Aiguës,’ translated into French by Schomberg from the English of John Barker, M.D., 1768. 13. ‘Judgment of Paris;’ a burletta performed at the Haymarket, with music by Barthélemon, 1768. 14. ‘Critical Dissertation on Character and Writings of Pindar and Horace,’ 1769; founded for the most part on a little work by François Blondel, printed at Paris in 1673. 15. ‘Medico-mastix’ (anon.), 1771. 16. ‘The Theorists: a satire by the author of “Medico-mastix,”’ 1774. 17. ‘Μουσικὴ Ἰατρεία, or a Fiddle the best Doctor’ (anon.), 1774. 18. ‘Fashion,’ a poem (anon.), 1775.
Schomberg was for some time a contributor to the ‘Batheaston Vase’ of Anna, Lady Miller [q. v.], but his effusions were not favourably received. A play of his, entitled ‘Romulus and Hersilia,’ was offered to Garrick, but was condemned. The manuscript of this and of other unpublished works by him is in the possession of Mr. Arthur Schomberg of Seend, Melksham. Several letters between Schomberg and E. M. da Costa are printed in Nichols's ‘Illustrations of Literature’ (iv. 762–9).
[Nichols's Lit. Anecdotes, iii. 28–30; Munk's Coll. of Phys. (2nd edit.) ii. 82; Robinson's Merchant Taylors' School, ii. 67; Gent. Mag. 1792, ii. 674.]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.242
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
| Page | Col. | Line | |
| 436 | ii | 30 | Schomberg, Raphael: for was no doubt obtained from a foreign read was obtained from Aberdeen |
| 40 | for Croucher read Crowcher and after London insert and master of the Vintners' Company in 1752 |