Our President

Professor Rowan Parks

Term of Office: 2022-Present

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. 

Learn more about our President here.


Past Presidents

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 SymeJames 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 Past Presidents 

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

 


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