William Farr (November 30, 1807 - April 14, 1883) was a
nineteenth century British epidemiologist. He was born in
Kenley, Shropshire, England to poor parents. He was effectively
adopted by a local squire, Joseph Pryce, when Farr and his
family moved to Dorrington. In 1826 he took a job as a dresser
in Shrewsbury infirmary. Pryce died in November 1828, and left
Farr £500 which allowed him to study medicine in France and
Switzerland. He returned to England in 1831 and continued his
studies at University College London, qualifying as a doctor
with the Apothecaries' Society in March 1832. He married in 1833
and started a medical practice in Fitzroy Square, London. By
this time he had become fascinated by medical statistics, a
subject which he called "hygology" (derived from "hygiene"). In
1837 he wrote a chapter called "Vital Statistics" for a highly
regarded reference book, John MacCulloch's "Statistical Account
of the British Empire". His wife died of tuberculosis in 1838,
after which he secured a post in Regis