Berkeley Moynihan

Berkeley George Andrew Moynihan, 1st Baron Moynihan, (2 October 1865 – 7 September 1936), known as Sir Berkeley Moynihan, 1st Baronet from 1922 to 1929, was a noted British abdominal surgeon.

Early years Moynihan was born in Malta in 1865, the son of Captain Andrew Moynihan, VC. His father died in 1867 and Moynihan moved with his mother to Leeds, Yorkshire. He was educated in Leeds and the Christ's Hospital, Newgate, London (1875–1881).

By the end of the Great War Moynihan held the rank of major-general in the British Army and had been chairman of the Army Advisory Board from 1916 and chairman of the council of consultants 1916 to 1919.

He delivered the Bradshaw Lecture in 1920 and the Hunterian oration in 1927. He served as President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England from 1926 to 1932.

In 1935, a year before his death, Moynihan and Dr Killick Millard had founded the British Voluntary Euthanasia Society.

Moynihan's surgery on Park Square, Leeds in the city centre still stands, now used as private offices. Their former use and connection to Moynihan is marked with a Leeds Civic Society blue plaque.

Honours Moynihan was knighted in 1912, appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1917, a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael & St George (KCMG) in 1918 and created a Baronet of Carr Manor in 1922. On 19 March 1929 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Moynihan, of Leeds in the County of York.

There is a lecture theatre/conference space at Thackray Medical Museum, Leeds, named the "Moynihan Auditorium".

Family Moynihan married Isabella Wellesley Jessop, the daughter of prominent Leeds surgeon Thomas Jessop, on 17 April 1895. They had three children:

Hon Dorothy Wellesley Moynihan (born 1897) Hon Shelagh Berkeley Moynihan (born 1902), married Henry Wynn Parry, BCh in 1923 Patrick Berkeley Moynihan, 2nd Baron Moynihan (born 29 July 1906, died 30 April 1965)

Lady Moynihan died on 1 September 1936. Lord Moynihan died six days later at the age of 70 and was succeeded in the barony and baronetcy by his only son Patrick.

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