Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 37.djvu/186

Mayo MAYO, ELIZABETH (1793–1865), educational reformer, sister of Charles Mayo (1792–1846) [q. v.], was born in London 18 June 1793, and on the return of her brother from Switzerland in 1822, joined him at Epsom and subsequently at Cheam, where she remained till 1834, helping him in the instruction of his boys and in applying the principles of Pestalozzi to English education. During this time she wrote the work by which her name is best known, ‘Lessons on Objects,’ 1831, which was followed by ‘Lessons on Shells,’ 1832. From 1843 her attention was concentrated upon the work of the Home and Colonial School Society, and for many years she supervised the courses of lessons, wrote model sketches, criticised every week some of the journals kept by the students, and generally superintended the work of the institution. ‘Her criticisms were always very direct, often sharp, always clear, going to the very root of the matter, always genial, because never ill-natured or sarcastic.’

Miss Mayo resided for many years at Hampstead, and dying at Malvern 1 Sept. 1865, was buried at Kensal Green cemetery. A tablet in the society's buildings, Gray's Inn Road, London, commemorates her services in having adapted to the English mind and character the principles of Pestalozzi, leavened with evangelical truth.

Besides ‘Lessons on Objects’ and ‘On Shells’ she wrote ‘Lessons on Scripture Prints,’ 1840, ‘On Miracles,’ 1845, ‘On Religious Instruction,’ 1849, and ‘Model Lessons for Infant Schools,’ 1848–50. She also joined her brother in writing ‘Practical Remarks on Infant Education,’ 1837.

 MAYO, HENRY (1733–1793), dissenting minister, was born in the west of England in 1733, and coming from Plymouth to London in 1756 was admitted to the academy at Mile End Road. Having preached for a short time at Northampton, he became (1762) the pastor of the Independent Congregation in Nightingale Lane, Wapping, London, of which he continued in charge until his death. He held the degrees of D.D. and LL.D., and upon the decease of Dr. Thomas Gibbons [q. v.] in 1785 he was chosen one of the tutors at the Homerton Academy, a post for which he was well qualified. ‘He was a very sensible man, a good preacher, and a respectable orator.’ In 1763 he was engaged in controversy with Dr. Gill on infant baptism. He frequently met Dr. Johnson at the house of Edward and Charles Dilly, booksellers, in the Poultry. A conversation which he had with Johnson there in 1773 on liberty of conscience is fully reported by Boswell (Life of Johnson, ed. Hill, ii. 247–55). ‘Dr. Mayo's calm temper and steady perseverance rendered him an admirable subject for the exercise of Dr. Johnson's powerful abilities. He never flinched; but, after reiterated blows, remained seemingly unmoved as at first. The scintillations of Johnson's genius flashed every time he was struck, without his receiving any injury. Hence he obtained the epithet of “The Literary Anvil”’.

Mayo died at his house in Wellclose Square 4 April 1793, and was buried in Bunhill Fields. He was twice married, first to Jane Marder, the widow of Mr. Martin, a West India merchant, and secondly to Dame Elizabeth Belfour, and had issue three daughters.

 MAYO, HERBERT (1796–1852), physiologist and anatomist, third son of John Mayo [q. v.], was born in Queen Anne Street, London, 3 April 1796. He entered Middlesex Hospital as a surgical pupil 17 May 1814, and was a pupil of Sir Charles Bell [q. v.], 1812–15. He also studied at Leyden, and graduated D.M. in that university. He became house-surgeon at Middlesex Hospital in 1818, and M.R.C.S. in 1819. In August 1822 appeared the first part of the ‘Anatomical and Physiological Commentaries,’ a work which is remarkable as containing Mayo's assertion of his discovery of the real function of the nerves of the face, and his account of the experiments which proved it. This was the starting-point of an exceedingly bitter and prolonged controversy with Sir Charles Bell, the discoverer of the distinction between sensory and motor nerves. Dr. Whewell, in a letter to the ‘London Medical Gazette,’ dated 11 Dec. 1837, describes the discovery as having been made by Bell, Mayo, and Majendie, the two latter physiologists having corrected and completed the researches of the former. His claim was stated with more emphasis by Dr. Druitt, who says: ‘Mayo was the first in enunciating the positive doctrine that the portio dura is the nerve of voluntary motion for the face, and the fifth nerve, the nerve of common sensation to the same. It is true there are certain passages in Sir Charles Bell's treatise in 1821 which make it difficult to conceive how he could have missed the truth, whilst there are other passages which show positively that he did miss it. Meanwhile Mayo's statement and claim in 1822 were clear, precise, and 