John Hull (physician)

Hull was orphaned at quite an early age and at sixteen became apprenticed to a Mr Lancaster, a surgeon, man midwife and apothecary in Blackburn.

After qualifying in 1784 he returned to Blackburn where he went into partnership with his former master Mr Lancaster, and his success there enabled him to buy the practice.

Hull went on to pursue further medical studies at Leiden, Netherlands where he graduated with his MD on 18 May 1792, with his dissertation being entitled ‘De Catharticis’.

[4] His move to Manchester was in part predicated by the lack of a lying-in hospital in Blackburn, hindering the development of his interests in obstetrics.

In Manchester he established himself as a highly respected obstetrician and engaged in active debate about practice, in particular where his belief that caesarean sections were sometimes necessary and useful was concerned.

[6] The catalyst of the Lock Hospital’s foundation had been the fact that the Manchester Royal Infirmary would not accept venereal cases, much to the admonishment of several of the city’s physicians.