John Freke

John Freke (1688–1756) was an English surgeon. Together with Percival Pott he was instrumental in separating the profession of surgeon from that of barber. Freke was the son of a rural minister from Ockford Fitzpaine, Dorset. At the age of 17 he was apprenticed to a prominent London surgeon, Richard Blundell. He became an assistant surgeon at St Bartholomew's Hospital (known as Barts) in 1726, and one year later was put in charge of the anatomical and surgical preparations. In 1727 the Governors of Barts had decided that there was a requirement for some surgeons to be specialists, and Freke was appointed to deal with diseases of the eye, becoming the first ophthalmic surgeon. He was a surgeon at Barts from 1729 to 1755 and was a...