Researching William Long

Born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, he was the youngest of ten children of Walter Long of Preshaw, Hampshire (1690–1769) (not to be confused with William's nephew Walter Long of Preshaw), and Philippa Blackall. He was eminent in his profession, and for thirty-three years, from 1784 to 1807, was surgeon at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London. He was appointed Master of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1800 and was among those who gave a donation to help fund their new surgical library. He was also on the College's list of first Governors, first Examiners of Surgeons and the first Court of Assistants. He wrote several papers, including one (unpublished) entitled "The Effects of Cancer".

He lived in London's Chancery Lane, and later at Lincoln's Inn Fields, and developed close friendships with the painter George Romney, sculptor John Flaxman, and writers William Hayley, Isaac Reed and William Blake, who, like Long, were members of the Unincreasable Club, at nearby Queens Head, Holborn, London. Long sat for Romney as his first subject for a portrait which was done for his friend Hayley. Subsequently Long acquired many of Romney's paintings, which were sold by Christie's on behalf of the family in 1890.

William Long purchased Marwell Hall near Winchester, Hampshire about 1798, and between 1812-1816 made considerable alterations, resulting in what is now the house as it stands today. He was a compassionate man, and when resident at his country seat away from London, he always gave his advice and medicine generously to the poor of the surrounding neighbourhood.

Long and his wife Alice (daughter of Edmund Dawson of Wharton, Lancaster) had no children, and in his will he made generous bequests to his nephews and nieces. After his death on 24 March 1818, his collections of preserved medical specimens and surgical instruments were donated by his executors to the Royal College of Surgeons Museum in London. Alice continued to live at Marwell Hall, and during the Owslebury riots of 1830 a mob of rioters, accompanied by John Boyes, a local farmer, arrived at the house. The mob demanded money from Alice, and John Boyce demanded a reduction in the rents of her farm tenants, so they could pay their agricultural labourers higher wages. (Afterwards 245 men were arrested and brought to trial at Winchester. Two of the prisoners were hanged and Boyes was transported to Tasmania for seven years but was pardoned and returned home in 1835).

William Long is buried in Salisbury Cathedral and his widow erected a monument to 'perpetuate the memory of a much esteemed husband'. Part of the epitaph, written in Latin, says:

Alice died 18 September 1840, leaving numerous charitable bequests.

Born in Newcastle, New South Wales, he received a primary education before becoming a boilermaker at the Eveleigh Railway Workshops for fifteen years and a member of the Federated Boilermakers Society. He was the unsuccessful Labor candidate for Botany at the 1925 state election and for Nepean at the 1927 state election.

He was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Labor member for Lang at the 1928 federal election, defeating long-serving Nationalist MP and Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives Elliot Johnson. Long held the seat until his own defeat in 1931.

He made a final bid for public office at the 1944 state election, when he unsuccessfully contested the Parramatta as an independent. He died in 1957.

Long was born in Sydney, New South Wales, the son of William Long (1797–1876) and his second wife. Long was educated privately and studied law in England, he was called to the Bar of the Inner Temple on 11 June 1862 and admitted to the New South Wales Bar on 22 December 1862.

Long represented Central Cumberland from 30 June 1875 to 12 October 1877, and Parramatta from 27 October 1877 to 9 November 1880, in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. He was nominated to the New South Wales Legislative Council on 8 September 1885, a position he held until 17 March 1900. He was Colonial Treasurer in the Robertson Government from 17 August to 17 December 1877.

Long was also a race-horse owner and one of his horses, Grand Flaneur, won nine successive races, including the Australian Jockey Club Derby, the Victoria Derby and the Melbourne Cup.

Long died unmarried on 30 November 1915 at Lewisham Hospital, Sydney.