Robert Graham (botanist)

{{Short description|Scottish physician and botanist (1786–1845)}}

Robert Graham {{Post-nominals|post-noms=FRSE FRCPE MWS}} (3 December 1786 – 7 August 1845) was a Scottish physician and botanist.

Life

Graham was born in Stirling the son of Dr Robert Graham, physician. After studying at Stirling Grammar School he continued first to the University of Glasgow and then to the University of Edinburgh where he graduated around 1806, and completed his MD in 1808. He trained further at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, where he qualified as a surgeon. He then returned to Scotland to practice at Glasgow Royal Infirmary 1812-3 and 1816–19.{{Cite web|url=http://www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk/biography/?id=WH2150&type=P|title=Biography of Robert Graham|website=universitystory.gla.ac.uk|access-date=2018-01-21}}

In 1816 he began lecturing in botany at the University of Glasgow, taking over from Thomas Brown of Lanfine and Waterhaughs following his resignation.{{cite web|url=http://www.hmag.gla.ac.uk/john/huntmin/Lanfine.htm|website=hmag.gla.ac.uk|title=john/huntmin/Lanfine|access-date=2018-02-10|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514042814/http://www.hmag.gla.ac.uk/john/huntmin/Lanfine.htm|archive-date=14 May 2013}} He was a major figure in the creation of Glasgow Botanic Gardens, and was the inaugural Chair of Botany at the Glasgow in 1818. In 1820 he moved to Edinburgh to take up the position of Professor of Botany and Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, a role he continued until 1845. He was also physician to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, and the 6th Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (1820–1845).

In 1820 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 1821 Graham was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, his proposer being Thomas Charles Hope.{{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}} In 1821 Graham was also elected a member of the Harveian Society of Edinburgh and served as President in 1825.{{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 the 1830s he is listed as living at 62 Great King Street in Edinburgh's New Town.{{Cite web|url=http://digital.nls.uk/83400483|title=Edinburgh Post Office annual directory, 1832-1833|website=National Library of Scotland|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119175530/http://digital.nls.uk/83400483|archive-date=2018-01-19|url-status=dead|access-date=2018-01-21}}

From 1840 to 1842 he served as President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.{{Cite book |url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf |title=Former Fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1783–2002: Part 1 (A–J) |author=C D Waterston |author2=A Macmillan Shearer |publisher=Royal Society of Edinburgh |isbn=090219884X |date=July 2006 |access-date=18 September 2015 |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 died at Coldoch in Perthshire on 7 August 1845.

Memberships and positions held

Member of the Highland Society, 1821–45
Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1821–1845
President of the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh, 1840–42
First President of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, 1836
President of the Medico-Chirugical Society, 1842

Botanical contributions

He wrote descriptions of new and rare plants cultivated in the gardens which were published in Edinburgh New Philosophical Magazine, Curtis's Botanical Magazine and Hooker's Companion to the Botanical Magazine.

Among plants he described was the Australian shrub Lasiopetalum macrophyllum.{{APNI | name = Lasiopetalum macrophyllum Graham | id = 32222}}

In fiction

Robert Graham features as a character in Sara Sheridan's novel The Fair Botanists (2021).Sheridan, Sara (2021), The Fair Botanists, Hodder & Stoughton, {{isbn|9781529336207}}