About John Elliot
Lived 1747 – 1787 (aged 39–40). John Elliot was a British physician, scientist and apothecary.
John Elliot MD (1747 – 22 July 1787) was a physician and scientist in eighteenth-century London who was the first person to conjecture that different parts of the retina respond to particular colours of light. He was obsessed with Mary Boydell, niece of the publisher John Boydell, and in 1787 was arrested for attempting to murder her. Although acquitted of attempted murder, he starved himself to death while awaiting trial for assault in Newgate Gaol.
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Important facts
People in John Elliot's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was John Elliot?
British physician and scientist
When was John Elliot born?
John Elliot was born in 1747 in Chard.
When did John Elliot die?
John Elliot died on 22 July 1787 in Newgate Prison.
What was John Elliot's occupation?
John Elliot was a physician, scientist and apothecary.
What nationality was John Elliot?
John Elliot was British.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: John Elliot (physician)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Elliot. https://biography.guide/john-elliot-physician/
MLA: "John Elliot." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-elliot-physician/.
Chicago: "John Elliot." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-elliot-physician/.
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