Clift, William, 1775-1849

William Clift, English museum curator, was born in Cornwall on 14 Feb. 1775. He married Caroline Amelia Pope in 1799; their daughter, Caroline Amelia Clift, married Sir Richard Owen in 1835. Clift died in London on 20 June 1849.

Clift became an apprentice to physician John Hunter in 1792; after Hunter's death, Clift was retained to care for his extensive collection of pathological specimens. When this collection was acquired by the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1800, Clift was retained as Conservator of the Museum. He compiled a catalogue of osteological specimens in the collection.

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