Background
He was born in Oxford, where his father John Symonds was a medical practitioner. His mother was Mary Williams, of Aston, Oxfordshire. Returning to Oxford, Symonds began the practice of his profession as assistant to his father.
He was born in Oxford, where his father John Symonds was a medical practitioner. His mother was Mary Williams, of Aston, Oxfordshire. Returning to Oxford, Symonds began the practice of his profession as assistant to his father.
Symonds was educated at Magdalen College School. At the age of sixteen he went to the University of Edinburgh for medical training, and graduated Doctor of Medicine
In 1828. In 1831 he moved to Bristol, where he was soon appointed physician to the general hospital, and lectured on forensic medicine at the Bristol medical school. He exchanged in 1836 for the lectureship on the practice of medicine, which he held till 1845. He retired from active service on the hospital staff in 1848.
In 1853 he was elected an associate of the Royal College of Physicians, and in 1857 a Fellow.
In the autumn of 1868 his health began to fail. In 1869 he delivered an address on health when presiding over the health section of the Social Science Association at the meeting at Clifton.
He finally abandoned practice early in 1870, and died on 25 February 1871. Thomas Woolner sculpted a bust of Symonds.
In 1834 Symonds married Harriet, eldest daughter of James Sykes of Leatherhead.
She died in 1844. There were five children of the marriage, one of whom was John Addington Symonds the poet (1840–1893). Their daughter Charlotte Byron Green married Thomas Hill Green the philosopher.
