William Bedford, M.D., was the eldest son of Hilkiah Bedford, A.M., by his wife Alice, a daughter of William Cooper, esq. He was educated at St. John’s college, Cambridge, and proceeded A.B. in 1721, A.M. 1725. He entered himself on the physic line at Leyden 10th September, 1727. In 1737 he was created doctor of medicine at Cambridge by royal mandate, and then settling in London was admitted a Candidate of the College of Physicians 30th September, 1737, and a Fellow 30th September, 1738. He delivered the Gulstonian lectures in 1740; was Censor in 1742 and 1745, and Registrar in 1745 and 1746. Dr. Bedford was appointed physician to Christ’s hospital in November 1746. He died 10th July, 1747, and is commemorated by the following inscription in the church of St. Nicholas, Cold Abbey:—

Gulielmo Bedford, M.D.
Coll. Med. Soc. Et Registr., R.S.S.
et in Orphanotrophio .Æd. Christi Med.;
Viro probitate, prudentiâ, et modestissimis moribus conspicuo:
cui etiam id maximè tribuendum est laudis,
quod tanta esset mentis solertia,
ut rebus gerandis natus, ingenio tam amabili,
ut ad amicitiæ et humanitatis officia ornanda
proprio quodam naturæ munere factus videretur:
qui, cúm multâ linguarum ac rerum scientiâ,
et assiduo virtutum socialium studio,
suam pariter artem nomenque cohonest âsset,
Anno ætatis 42, febre correptus,
uxori, consanguineis, amicis desideratissimus,
obiit die x. Julii, a.d. 1747.
Elizabetha conjux mœstissima P.

He was the intimate friend of Thomas Hearne, the antiquary, who, according to the "Gentleman’s Magazine," (1) "left his MSS., which are very numerous, to Dr. William Bedford, physician in London."

William Munk

[(1) Vol. v, p. 333]