Sir Matthew Lister, MD, was born at Thornton, in Yorkshire, and educated at Oriel College, Oxford, of which house he was a fellow. He took the degree of doctor of medicine at Basle; was incorporated at Oxford, 15th May, 1605, and at Cambridge in 1608. He was admitted a Candidate of the College of Physicians the 25th March, 1605, and a Fellow the 5th June, 1607. He was Censor in 1608, and was appointed an Elect 10th May, 1625. Wood incorrectly states that he at length became President.

He was, continues Wood, a retainer to Mary, the incomparable Countess of Pembroke, whose estates he managed for her best advantage; physician to Anne of Denmark, the consort of king James I, and physician in ordinary to king Charles I, from whom he received the honour of knighthood, at Oatlands, 11th October, 1636.

Sir Matthew Lister lived to extreme old age; but several years before his death, which occurred in December, 1656, æt 92, he had given up practice, left London and retired to Burwell, near Louth, in Lincolnshire, where he was buried.(1)

William Munk

[(1) “Matthæus Lister, eques auratus et medicus celeberrimus, urbe et praxi relictâ; rus, otii honesti causâ, concessit. Ibi nonagesimum vitæ annum attigit, eamque demum Burwellæ, in agro Lincolniensi, satur omnium, omniumque in hoc libello, natu maximus finiit, decimo nono calend: Januarii 1656.” Bustorum aliquot Reliquiæ authore Bald: Hamey.]