b.13 Jan 1794 London, London, England
d.28 Dec 1848
Facts and Events
Sir Augustus Frederick d'Este KCB KCH (1794–1848) was the son of Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, and Lady Augusta Murray, and the grandson of George III. His parents' marriage was in contravention of the Royal Marriages Act 1772 and thus legally null and void. Therefore, Augustus d'Este was illegitimate for purposes of British law. He was born Augustus Frederick Hanover, but the last name was later legally changed to d'Este.
An active member of the Aborigines Protection Society particularly interested in native Americans he gave considerable assistance to Peter Jones, the Mississauga missionary and leader to argue for title to their lands in Upper Canada.
Augustus d'Este is the earliest recorded person for whom a definite diagnosis of multiple sclerosis can be made. The course of his MS, which was not diagnosed during his lifetime, is known from the diaries he kept. D'Este left a detailed diary describing his 22 years living with the disease. He began his diary in 1822 and it had its last entry in 1846; only to remain unknown until 1948.
His symptoms began at age 28 with a sudden transient visual loss after the funeral of a friend. During the course of his disease he developed weakness of the legs, clumsiness of the hands, numbness, dizziness, bladder disturbances, and erectile dysfunction. By 1843 he was experiencing persistent symptoms including tremor and nocturnal spasms, and in 1844 he began to use a wheelchair. In his last years he was confined to his bed. Despite his illness, he kept an optimistic view of life.