Past Presidents
Professor Rowan Parks is the 176th and current president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd), having assumed office in November 2022. The President is normally elected in November and serves a three-year term.
Since 1535, the Presidents and Deacons of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) have included:
- Andrew Scott held office as Deacon on eight occasions between 1598 and 1627.
- Alexander Wood, Deacon from 1762 to 1764, had the distinction of treating two of Scotland’s most famous literary figures: Robert Burns for a sprained knee and Walter Scott about his lameness.
- Joseph Bell, President from 1887 to 1889, was an excellent clinical teacher with a flair for making lightning diagnoses. His acute powers of observation inspired one of his pupils, Arthur Conan Doyle, with the model for Sherlock Holmes.
The long reign of Queen Victoria led to a number of RCSEd Presidents serving her in an official capacity. For instance:
- Douglas Moray Cooper Argyll Robertson, President from 1885 to 1887, and William Walker, President from 1871 to 1873, both held the appointment of Surgeon Oculist to Queen Victoria.
- John Smith, served as Surgeon Dentist to Queen Victoria in 1871 before being elected President the following decade.
- James Syme, James Spence and Patrick Heron Watson served as Presidents of the College and Surgeons to Queen Victoria.
- John Chiene, President from 1897 to 1899, was also the first President of the Scottish Rugby Union.
For further information on our past Presidents and Deacons, please contact the RCSEd Library.
List of Presidents of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
This list includes each of the Presidents and Deacons of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd), arranged from the present day to 1535. Prior to 1778, the President was referred to as the deacon.
| Date of Election | Name of President / Deacon |
|---|---|
| 2022 - Present | Rowan W Parks |
| 2018 | S Michael Griffin (additional year due to COVID-19 pandemic) |
| 2015 | Michael Lavelle-Jones |
| 2012 | Ian K Ritchie |
| 2009 | David A Tolley |
| 2006 | John Douglas Orr |
| 2003 | John Allan Raymond Smith |
| 2000 | Sir John Graham Temple |
| 1997 | Arnold George Dominic Maran |
| 1994 | Sir Robert Shields |
| 1991 | Patrick Stewart Boulter |
| 1988 | Geoffrey Duncan Chisholm, CBE |
| 1985 | Thomas Jaffrey McNair, CBE |
| 1982 | Sir James David Fraser, Bt |
| 1979 | Francis John Gillingham, CBE |
| 1976 | Andrew Wood Wilkinson, CBE |
| 1973 | James Alexander Ross, MBE |
| 1970 | Sir Donald Douglas, MBE |
| 1967 | James Roderick Johnston Cameron |
| 1964 | George Ian Scott, CBE |
| 1962 | James Johnston Mason Brown, OBE |
| 1957 | Sir John Bruce, CBE |
| 1951 | Sir Walter Mercer |
| 1949 | Walter Quarry Wood |
| 1947 | Francis Evelyn Jardine |
| 1945 | James Methuen Graham, LLD |
| 1943 | Robert William Johnstone, CBE |
| 1941 | John William Struthers, LLD |
| 1939 | Harry Moss Traquair |
| 1937 | William James Stuart |
| 1935 | Sir Henry Wade, CMG, DSO |
| 1933 | Arthur Henry Havens Sinclair |
| 1931 | John Wheeler Dowden |
| 1929 | James Haig Ferguson |
| 1927 | Alexander Miles |
| 1925 | Arthur Logan Turner |
| 1923 | Sir Harold Jalland Stiles, KBE |
| 1921 | Sir David Wallace, KBE, CMG |
| 1919 | George Mackay |
| 1917 | Robert McKenzie Johnston |
| 1914 | Sir James William Beeman Hodsdon, KBE |
| 1912 | Francis Mitchell Caird |
| 1910 | Sir George Andreas Berry |
| 1907 | Sir Joseph Montagu Cotterill, CMG |
| 1905 | Charles Watson MacGillivray |
| 1903 | Sir Patrick Heron Watson (for the 2nd time) |
| 1901 | Sir John Halliday Croom |
| 1899 | James Dunsmure |
| 1897 | John Chiene, CB |
| 1895 | Sir John Struthers |
| 1893 | Peter Hume Maclaren |
| 1891 | Robert James Blair Cunynghame |
| 1889 | John Duncan |
| 1887 | Joseph Bell |
| 1885 | Douglas Moray Cooper Lamb Argyll Robertson |
| 1883 | John Smith |
| 1882 | Sir William Turner, KCB |
| 1879 | Francis Brodie Imlach |
| 1877 | Sir Patrick Heron Watson |
| 1875 | Sir Henry Duncan Littlejohn |
| 1873 | James Simson |
| 1871 | William Walker |
| 1869 | James Donaldson Gillespie |
| 1867 | James Spence |
| 1865 | James Dunsmure |
| 1863 | Benjamin Bell |
| 1861 | Patrick Small Keir Newbigging |
| 1859 | Sir Andrew Douglas Maclagan |
| 1857 | Robert Omond |
| 1855 | Andrew Wood |
| 1853 | Archibald Inglis |
| 1851 | James Scarth Combe |
| 1849 | James Syme |
| 1848 | John Argyll Robertson |
| 1846 | Samuel Alexander Pagan |
| 1844 | James Simson |
| 1842 | Andrew Fyffe |
| 1840 | Richard Huie |
| 1838 | Adam Hunter |
| 1836 | Sir George Ballingall |
| 1834 | William Brown |
| 1832 | John Campbell |
| 1830 | John Gairdner |
| 1828 | William Wood |
| 1826 | David Maclagan |
| 1824 | David Hay |
| 1822 | William Wood |
| 1820 | John Henry Wishart |
| 1818 | Alexander Gillespie |
| 1816 | James Bryce |
| 1814 | Sir William Newbigging |
| 1812 | James Law |
| 1810 | Alexander Gillespie |
| 1808 | Andrew Inglis |
| 1806 | William Farquharson |
| 1804 | John Rae |
| 1802 | John Bennet |
| 1800 | James Law |
| 1798 | Andrew Wood |
| 1796 | James Russell |
| 1794 | Thomas Hay |
| 1792 | Thomas Wood |
| 1790 | William Inglis |
| 1788 | Andrew Wardrop |
| 1786 | Forrest Dewar |
| 1784 | Thomas Hay |
| 1782 | William Inglis |
| 1780 | William Chalmer |
| 1778 | James Gibson |
| 1776 | Alexander Hamilton |
| 1774 | Andrew Wood |
| 1772 | William Inglis |
| 1770 | David Wardrobe |
| 1768 | Robert Smith |
| 1766 | James Brodie |
| 1764 | James Rae |
| 1762 | Alexander Wood |
| 1760 | John Balfour |
| 1758 | William Chalmer |
| 1756 | Thomas Young |
| 1754 | Robert Walker |
| 1752 | James Russel |
| 1750 | George Cunninghame |
| 1748 | Adam Drummond |
| 1746 | George Cunninghame |
| 1744 | George Lauder |
| 1742 | George Langlands |
| 1740 | Alexander Nesbet (One in 1708 too) |
| 1739 | George Cunninghame |
| 1737 | William Mitchel |
| 1736 | John Lawder |
| 1734 | John Kennedy |
| 1732 | John McGill |
| 1730 | John Lawder*** |
| 1728 | John Kennedy |
| 1726 | John Kirkwood |
| 1725 | John Kennedy |
| 1724 | John Kirkwood |
| 1722 | John Knox |
| 1720 | Robert Hope |
| 1718 | John Lauder |
| 1716 | McGill John |
| 1714 | Lauder John |
| 1712 | Monro John |
| 1710 | Hamilton, Henry |
| 1708 | Nesbet, Alexander |
| 1706 | Mirrie, John |
| 1704 | Hamilton, Henry |
| 1702 | Hamilton, James |
| 1701 | Monteath, Alexander acts in place of Robert Clerk who refuses to accept office |
| 1699 | Monteath,**Alexander |
| 1699 | Eliot, Gideon |
| 1697 | Dunlop, Thomas |
| 1695 | Monteath, Alexander |
| 1693 | Eliot, Gideon |
| 1692 | Crawford, James |
| 1691 | Raynolds, John |
| 1689 | Stirling, George |
| 1687 | Baillie, John |
| 1685 | Edgar, Thomas |
| 1684 | Pringle, David |
| 1683 | Turnbull, David |
| 1681 | Borthwick, William |
| 1679 | Nisbet, James |
| 1677 | Stirling, George |
| 1675 | Borthwick, William |
| 1673 | Jossie, John |
| 1671 | Cheislie, Samwell |
| 1669 | Temple, Arthur |
| 1667 | Carter, Thomas |
| 1665 | Temple, Arthur |
| 1663 | Trumble, Walter |
| 1661 | Burnet, William |
| 1659 | Borthwick, James |
| 1657 | Cleilland, James |
| 1655 | Kincaid, Thomas |
| 1652 | Burnet, William |
| 1651 | Kennedy, David |
| 1648 | Borthwick, James |
| 1646 | Douglas, David |
| 1644 | Pennycuik, Alexander |
| 1642 | Scott, John |
| 1641 | Rig, James |
| 1640 | Douglas, David |
| 1639 | Pringle*, John |
| 1637 | Douglas, David |
| 1635 | Pringill, John |
| 1633 | Rig, James |
| 1632 | Spang, John |
| 1631 | Ker, John |
| 1629 | Cockburne, Laurence |
| 1627 | Scott, Andro |
| 1626 | Pringill, John |
| 1624 | Aikman, Henry |
| 1622 | Pringle David |
| 1620 | Scott, Andro |
| 1619 | Kinloch, James |
| 1618 | Henrysoun, James |
| 1616 | Scott, Andro |
| 1614 | Henrysoun, James |
| 1612 | Pringle, David |
| 1610 | Aikman, Henrie |
| 1608 | Kinloch, James |
| 1606 | Kinloch, James |
| 1606 | Scott, Andro |
| 1605 | Lumisden, Hendrie |
| 1603 | Skaithmure, James |
| 1602 | Primrose, Gilbert |
| 1601 | Aikman, Henrie |
| 1600 | Henrysoun, James |
| 1598 | Scott, Andro |
| 1596 | Lumisden, Hendrie |
| 1595 | Naysmyth, John |
| 1594 | Rig, James |
| 1592 | Lumisden, Hendrie |
| 1591 | Craig, James |
| 1589 | Henrysoun, James |
| 1588 | Lindsay, James |
| 1587 | Henrysoun, James |
| 1586 | Craig, James |
| 1584 | Blyth, Henrie |
| 1583 | Hendersoun, Robert |
| 1581 | Primrose, Gilbert |
| 1580 | Primrose, Gilbert |
| 1579 | Hendersoun, Robert |
| 1578 | Hendersoun, Robert |
| 1577 | Primrose, Gilbert |
| 1576 | Primrose, Gilbert |
| 1575 | Primrose, Gilbert |
| 1574 | Primrose, Gilbert |
| 1573 | Brussat, Nowie |
| 1572 | Hendersoun, Robert |
| 1571 | Records missing |
| 1570 | Bruce, Alexander |
| 1569 | Bruce, Alexander |
| 1568 | Brussat Nowie |
| 1567 | Bruce Alexander |
| 1566 | Bruis, Nowie |
| 1565 | Chalmer, John |
| 1564 | Lindesay, James |
| 1563 | Lindesay, James |
| 1562 | Lindesay, James |
| 1561 | Hendersoun, Robert |
| 1560 | Hendersoun, Robert |
| 1559 | Lindsay, Patrick |
| 1558 | Bruce, Alexander |
| 1557 | Brussat, Nowie [Noyer] |
| 1556 | Bruce, Alexander |
| 1555 | Bruce, Alexander |
| 1543 | Quhite, William |
| 1539 | Leithe, George |
| 1536 | Brussat, Anthony |
| 1535 | Barbour, Lancelot |
