James Parsons (physician)

Portrait of James Parsons by Benjamin Wilson, 1762

James Parsons FRS (March 1705 – 4 April 1770) was an English physician, antiquary and author.

Born in Barnstaple, he was brought up in Ireland before going to Paris to study medicine. He received his degree from Rheims and in 1736 moved to London to study with the anatomist James Douglas.

In 1741 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, and was Assistant Foreign Corresponding Secretary of the Society from about 1750.