in HIS POLITICAL EFFORTS 29 



prospects of liberty in Britain itself were bound up with 

 it. During the momentous years which led up to the 

 War of Separation Fothergill watched closely the course 

 of events. His practice took him often amongst those 

 in authority. In the winter of 1774, when things were 

 drifting towards a rupture, the king and government 

 blindly refusing all concession, Fothergill with his friend 

 Barclay made a last effort before Franklin left England 

 to negotiate a settlement. The triumvirate met again 

 and again at Fothergill's house, and drew up a scheme 

 of conciliation, which obtained some hearing from the 

 ministry, but was wrecked by its extremer members. 

 Most of its provisions were indeed embodied in an act 

 passed after war had broken out, but it was then too 

 late. A full account of this negotiation is given in the 

 present volume, taken from the original documents, 

 which will be found printed in an Appendix. 



Besides his political efforts, Fothergill was able to 

 render good service to medical education in America. 

 What he did for the young men who came to England 

 for study, and "how he helped the establishment of the 

 Pennsylvania Medical College, the first institution in 

 America to grant degrees in medicine, will be told in 

 another chapter. 



We have thus followed in outline the events of Fother- 

 gill's life down to his later years, active as he was in 

 several different fields. In succeeding chapters some of 

 these manifold activities, on his own part and on that 

 of his friends, will be depicted in fuller detail. Finally, 

 some notice will be given of Fothergill's closing years, 

 during which his work for education was consummated 

 by the foundation of Ackworth School. 



