James Dunsmure

{{Short description|Scottish surgeon}}

{{for|his son|James Dunsmure (physician)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}

{{Use British English|date=November 2017}}

thumb

File:53 Queen Street, Edinburgh.jpg

James Dunsmure FRSE FRCSEd (23{{nbsp}}April 1814{{snd}}15{{nbsp}}October 1886) was a Scottish surgeon. He served as President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Life

File:The grave of Dr James Dunsmure, Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh.jpg

He was born at 33 George StreetEdinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1814–15 in Edinburgh on 23 April 1814, the son of Susan Drysdale and her husband, James Dunsmure (1771–1858), Secretary to the Fisheries Board for Scotland. He was educated at the High School in Edinburgh then the University of Edinburgh receiving his doctorate (MD) in 1835.British Medical Journal: obituary: 23 October 1886

He worked as a house surgeon under John Lizars before taking up a senior position at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. He was both examiner and assessor to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the University of Edinburgh, and house surgeon to John Watson's Hospital and the North British Railway Company. He was a lecturer in surgery at the Edinburgh Extramural School of Medicine at Surgeons' Hall.

In 1842 Dunsmure was elected a member of the Harveian Society of Edinburgh and served as president in 1869.{{Cite book|url=https://wellcomecollection.org/works/ww4e59xv|title= A Record of the Edinburgh Harveian Society|last=Watson Wemyss|first=Herbert Lindesay|publisher=T&A Constable, Edinburgh|year=1933|language=en}} In 1857 he was elected a member of the Aesculapian Club.{{Cite book|title=Minute Books of the Aesculapian Club|url=http://archives.rcpe.ac.uk/calmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=DEP%2fAEC%2f1&pos=2|location= Library of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh}} In 1866 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, his proposer being John Hutton Balfour.{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf|access-date=30 March 2016|archive-date=24 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124115814/http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf|url-status=dead}} He was a member of the Royal Company of Archers, winning the Queen's prize for accuracy on three occasions and the Edinburgh Arrow as the finest archer in 1860. He was also a church elder in the Church of Scotland from 1847 to 1886. From 1865 to 1867 he was President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, replacing Benjamin Bell (Joseph Bell's father).

He died at home, 53 Queen StreetEdinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1850–51 (previously the home of John Mortland of Rindmuir) in Edinburgh’s New Town on 15 October 1886. He was buried with his family in Dean Cemetery in western Edinburgh.{{cite web|url=http://www.gravestonephotos.com/public/gravedetails.php?grave=73809&scrwidth=1600|title=James Dunsmure grave monument details at Dean 2e Cemetery, Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland|first=Charles|last=Sale|website=Gravestonephotos.com|access-date=4 October 2018}} The white marble monument lies against the north wall of the original cemetery.

Family

He was married to Catherine Hill (1815–1882). Their son James Dunsmure Jr FRCSE LLD (1846–1907) was an obstetrician who also served as President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Their son Robert Dunsmure immigrated to Australia, where he was a pastoralist and member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. Another son was George Hill Dunsmure (1856–1924).{{cite web|url=https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/former/bio?id=3565638365|title=Dunsmure, Robert|publisher=Parliament of Queensland|work=Former Members|access-date=4 September 2016}}

Neighbours

In his Queen Street home he was a neighbour to Sir James Young Simpson and Francis Brodie Imlach.

References