HILL, Sir Leonard Erskine

1866 - 1952

Leonard Erskine Hill was born at Bruce Castle School, Lordship Lane, Tottenham, London on 2 June 1866, third son of George Birkbeck Norman Hill (7 June 1835-24 February 1903), who owned the school, and his wife Annie Scott (1837-30 October 1902), only daughter of Edward Scott of Beech Hill, near Wigan, who married at Wigan Parish Church on 23 December 1858. Leonard was educated at Haileybury College and entered medical school at University College London and in 1885 was living at Osborne House, Loughton, Essex when elected a member of the Royal College of Surgeons and on 9 August 1889, of the Royal College of Physician. He married at Rosslyn Hill Chapel, Hampstead, London on 18 September 1891, Janet Alexander (1867-1956), elder daughter of Frederick Alexander of 20 Denning Road, Hampstead. In 1901, a 34-year-old physician & physiologist, living at Jasmine Cottage, Frognal, Hampstead with his 32-year-old wife Janet and their four children, Martin Spencer (1893-1968), Leonard Brian (1895-1979), Austin Bradford (1897-1991) and Margaret Joan (born 1900), all born at Hampstead. Leonard was Director, Department of Applied Physiology, University of London when dubbed Knight Bachelor on 13 June 1930. An accomplished artist and founded the Medical Art Society in 1935 and after befriending a Japanese artist, many Japanese sought him out when they visited London, this resulted in three successful exhibitions of his paintings in Japan, where his painting of a turkey created quite a sensation. The Dictionary of British Artists notes that he exhibited eight pieces of art with the International Society of Sculptors Painters, three with the London Salon, two with the Royal Society of British Artists, one with the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours, and two with the Royal Institute of Oil Painters. He wrote a collection of stories published as 'The Monkey Moo Book' and had previously penned and illustrated a collection of fairy tales entitled 'The Scarecrow and Other Fairy Tales' and wrote ten medical books. Sir Leonard Erskine Hill had retired to Field Cottage, Corton, Lowestoft, Suffolk where he died suddenly of a cerebral thrombosis on 30 March 1952, survived by his wife and four of his six children. The Royal London Hospital Museum & Archives.

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Works by This Artist