1835, in consequence of a disagreement with the board of management, and for some years after his resignation he devoted himself to private practice, living in Savile Row. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1827, and in 1830 he took a leading part in the election of the Duke of Sussex to the office of president, on the retirement of Mr. Gilbert. He was a prominent freemason for many years before his death.
Pettigrew's love for antiquities grew upon him as his age increased. In 1834 his attention was drawn to the subject of mummies, and he published a book on embalming. In 1843, when the British Archæological Association was founded, he at once took a leading part in its management. He acted as its treasurer, and during its early years the town meetings were held at his house. In 1854 his wife died, and he gave up the practice of his profession to devote himself to antiquarian and literary pursuits, at the same time removing to Onslow Crescent. He died on 23 Nov. 1865.
His chief works are: 1. ‘Views of the Base of the Brain and the Cranium,’ London, 4to, 1809. 2. ‘Memoirs of the Life and Writings of the late John Coakley Lettsom, M.D.,’ 8vo, 3 vols., London, 1817. 3. ‘Biographical Memoir of Dr. Thomas Cogan (1736–1818) [q. v.], a Founder of the Royal Humane Society,’ ‘Annual Report of the Royal Humane Society’ for 1818. 4. ‘History of Egyptian Mummies, and an Account of the Worship and Embalming of the Sacred Animals,’ 4to, London, 1834. 5. ‘The Biographies of Physicians and Surgeons in Rose's Biographical Dictionary, from “Claude Nicholas le Cat” onwards,’ 1857. 6. ‘Bibliotheca Sussexiana: a descriptive Catalogue, accompanied by Historical and Biographical Notices of the Manuscripts and Printed Books contained in the Library of His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, in Kensington Palace,’ London, 2 vols. in three parts, imperial 8vo, 1827 and 1839; part i. contains 294 pages, and part ii. contains 516 pages. 7. ‘The Medical Portrait Gallery, containing Biographical Memoirs of the most celebrated Physicians and Surgeons, &c.,’ 4 vols. imperial 8vo, London, 1840. Pettigrew tells us that this work was begun to divert his thoughts after the death of his eldest son in 1837. 8. ‘On Superstitions connected with the History and Practice of Medicine and Surgery,’ London, 8vo, 1844. 9. ‘Life of Vice-admiral Lord Nelson,’ 2 vols., 8vo, London, 1849. In this work Pettigrew first conclusively proved the nature of the tie connecting Lord Nelson with Lady Hamilton, and furnished evidence of the birth of their child. 10. ‘An Historiall Expostulation against the Beastlye Abusers both of Chyrurgerie and Physyke in oure tyme, by John Halle,’ edited for the Percy Society, 1844. His antiquarian works appear chiefly in the ‘Journal of the British Archæological Association’ and in the ‘Archæologia’ of the Society of Antiquaries.
[Autobiography in the Medical Portrait Gallery, 1844, vol. iv. (with an engraved portrait); obituary notices in Gent. Mag. 1866, i. 136, and in the Journal of the British Archæological Association for 1866, pp. 327–35.]
PETTINGALL or PETTINGAL, JOHN (1708–1781), antiquary, born in 1708, was son of the Rev. Francis Pettingal of Newport, Monmouthshire. He matriculated at Jesus College, Oxford, on 15 March 1725, and graduated B.A. in 1728. He was afterwards incorporated at Cambridge, probably at Corpus Christi College, whence he graduated M.A. in 1740, and D.D. at a later date.
He was for some years preacher at Duke Street chapel, Westminster, and on 3 June 1757 was appointed prebendary of St. Paul's Cathedral. On 28 July 1758 he was installed prebendary of Lincoln. On 16 Jan. 1752 he was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (see list in Bibl. Topogr. Brit. vol. x.), and read three papers before it, viz. ‘On the Courts of Pye Powder,’ ‘On the Gule of August,’ and ‘Observations on an Altar with Greek Inscription at Corbridge, Northumberland’ (Archæologia, i. 190, ii. 60, 92). He died in the autumn of 1781.
Pettingall also published: 1. ‘A Dissertation on the Origin of the Equestrian Figure of the George and of the Garter,’ 1753 (cf. Blackwood's Magazine, xli. 744). 2. ‘The Latin Inscriptions on the Copper Table discovered in the year 1732, near Heraclea … more particularly considered and illustrated,’ 1760, 4to. 3. ‘A Dissertation upon the Tascia or Legend on the British Coins of Cunobelin, and others,’ 1763, 4to. 4. ‘An Enquiry into the Use and Practice of Juries among the Greeks and Romans, from whence the origin of the English Jury may probably be deduced,’ 1769, 4to.
He also translated A. C. F. Houtteville's ‘Discours Historique et Critique sur la Méthode des Principaux Auteurs qui ont écrit pour ou contre le Christianisme,’ with a preface and notes, 1739. Appended to it is ‘A Dissertation on the Life of Apollonius Tyaneus, with some Observations on the Platonists of the latter [sic] school.’
A son, Thomas Pettingall (1745–1826), tutor and censor of Christ Church from 1774 to 1779, was afterwards Whitehall preacher, and in 1782 became rector of East Hampstead, Berkshire.
