Bartholomew Ruspini

He was the son of Andreas Ruspini of Grumello, a minor member of a patrician family which originated from Croglio, in the ancient Italian region of Como (in the present-day Canton of Ticino in Switzerland).

Although there is no certainty of his movements it seems possible that Ruspini moved on from his training in Paris to England, taking with him introductions from French and Italian noblemen.

It is unclear exactly when he first came to England but an advertisement in the York Courant on 19 May 1752 identifies him as an Italian surgeon offering a remedy for scurvy of the mouth and gums.

No mention is made of Ruspini's Italian ancestry in the marriage announcement whereas the Orde family and their connections with nobility and prominent citizens is expanded upon.

In April 1789, the "Honourable Order of Knighthood and Dignity of Count of the Sacred Palace of the Lateran" was conferred upon him by Francis, Duke of Sforza-Cesarini, bringing with it the title of Chevalier.

[1] Ruspini was anxious to ensure that the poorer people in London should not be disadvantaged and arranged that his tooth powder should be available free from a doctor's house in Fore Street.

Today his statue stands at the Royal Masonic School where he is remembered and where his birthday, 25 March, is celebrated as "Ruspini Day".