William George Maton

The son of George Maton, a wine merchant, was born at Salisbury, 31 January 1774. He attended Salisbury grammar school, and in July 1790 entered The Queen's College, Oxford. While there he became interested in botany, and encountered John Sibthorp.^[1]

On 18 March 1794 Maton was elected a fellow of the Linnean Society, came to know the botanist Sir James Edward Smith. He became vice-president of the society; and the members showed their regard for him by calling a woodpecker, a shell-fish, and a genus of plants after him. In that year he graduated B.A. at Oxford, and in 1797 M.A.^[1]

Maton began his medical studies at Westminster Hospital, and on 11 July 1798 graduated M.B. at Oxford, and on 15 April 1801 M.D. He was elected a fellow of the College of Physicians of London on 30 September 1802, became Gulstonian lecturer in 1803, censor in 1804, 1813, and 1824, treasurer in 1814 to 1820, and Harveian orator in 1815. He was physician to the Westminster Hospital in 1800–8.^[1]

During the Weymouth "season" Maton used to practise there. One day, as he was out walking, an equerry summoned him to Queen Charlotte. She asked him to identify a specimen that one of the princesses fond of botany had obtained; he identified it as Calamagrostis epigejos. In this way he had an introduction to the royal family. In 1816 he was appointed physician extraordinary to Queen Charlotte, and in 1820 attended the Duke of Kent in his last illness. He afterwards became physician to the Duchess of Kent and to the infant Princess Victoria.^[1]

Maton's practice increased and was exceeded only by that of Sir Henry Halford. His father, who had died in 1816, was then deeply in debt, and by 1827 Maton had paid all that was owing. He bought a country seat near Downton, Wiltshire, but six months later became very ill, and died 30 March 1835 at his house in Spring Gardens, London.^[1]