▁' TH IS ▁em inent ▁phys ician , ▁celebrated ▁chem ist , ▁and ▁ami able ▁though ▁singular ▁individual ▁has , ▁at ▁an ▁advanced ▁age , ▁fallen ▁under ▁the ▁stroke ▁of ▁his ▁ancient ▁but ▁ind om itable ▁enemy .' ▁He ▁continued : ▁' Dr . ▁Pear son ▁was ▁born ▁at ▁R other ham ▁in ▁York shire . ▁[ H is ▁father , ▁John , ▁was ▁an ▁ap othe c ary ]. ▁His ▁grand father ▁Nathan iel , ▁was ▁for ▁years ▁Vic ar ▁of ▁St ain ton , ▁in ▁that ▁neighbourhood , ▁and ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 7 ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 8 8 . ▁His ▁uncle , ▁George ▁after ▁whom ▁he ▁was ▁named , ▁was ▁a ▁wine - mer chant ▁at ▁Don c aster ▁for ▁up wards ▁of ▁thirty ▁years ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Corporation , ▁and ▁twice ▁Mayor ▁of ▁the ▁Bor ough ▁[ 1 7 8 5 ▁and ▁ 1 7 9 3 ]. ' ▁ ▁Pear son ▁studied ▁in ▁Edinburgh , ▁took ▁his ▁MD ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 1 ▁and ▁went ▁to ▁study ▁for ▁a ▁year ▁at ▁St . ▁Thomas ' s ▁Hospital . ▁He ▁settled ▁in ▁Don c aster ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 7 . ▁In ▁his ▁six ▁years ▁there ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁close ▁friend ▁of ▁John ▁Philip ▁K emble ▁and ▁anal ys ed ▁the ▁water ▁at ▁Bu xt on , ▁about ▁which ▁he ▁produced ▁a ▁two - volume ▁work . ▁In ▁ 1 7 8 3 ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁London , ▁to ▁Le ic ester