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GORDON, George of Blairdinnie, 2nd of Coclarachie
(About 1513-1562)
GORDON, Daughter
(About 1530-)
DUNCAN, James of Meldrum
(About 1540-)
LUMSDEN, Janet
(About 1543-)
GORDON, George 3rd of Coclarachie
(About 1546-Before 1633)
DUNCAN, Bessie
(About 1572-1643)
GORDON, William Professor of Medicine at Aberdeen, Doctor
(About 1598-After 1649)

 

Family Links

Spouses/Children:
1. SANDILANDS, Jean

GORDON, William Professor of Medicine at Aberdeen, Doctor 3 4

  • Born: About 1598
  • Marriage (1): SANDILANDS, Jean on 31 July 1626 in Old Machar parish, Aberdeen, Scotland 1 2
  • Died: After 1649 5

   Other names for William were GORDONE, Williame 6 and GORDONNE, Wm.1

   User ID: B427.

  General Notes:

"The authorities' plague policy made the most of these factors. From its earliest implementation preventative legislation had been formulated with the advice of learned medical practitioners. This had initially been a formal arrangement, with the council's official employment of the mediciner (professor of Medicine) at King's College in Old Aberdeen. This had been instigated in 1503 with the first incumbent, James Cumming. After Robert Gray (appointed in 1523) the third physician to become mediciner was local man Gilbert Skene, author of Ane Breve Descriptioun of the Pest, the earliest vernacular medical treatise to be published in Scotland. Having studied under Gray at King's, Skene completed his studies on the continent before returning to take up the post of mediciner at his alma mater in 1556. Despite moving to Edinburgh to become royal physician in 1575 he retained close ties with Aberdeen, as he was made a burgess in 1579 and did not dispose of the mediciner's manse until 1587. After Skene's departure the post of mediciner may have remained vacant until the appointment of local man Patrick Dun in 1619. During this time, however, Aberdeen continued to benefit from a learned medical presence within the city. In 1596 the council granted Master Quintine Preston, professor of phisick. an apothecary's shop and servant, George Peacock who, unlike Preston, was made a burgess. Preston possibly taught several students at King.s College, including William Gordon, who was made a burgess in 1625 and became mediciner in 1632, after Dun. He owned an apothecary's shop on the Netherkirkgate, which was in competition with the other, run solely by Peacock since Preston's death."

from Plague, Pox and the Physician




"Beginnings of the Medical School

William Gordon, who was Mediciner from 1632 to 1649, was a pioneer of medical education in Great Britaini. He taught anatomy, and not only 'exercesed the students sufficientlie in the dissection of beasts,' but in 1636 made an application to the Privy Council for the delivery of dead bodies to the 'Colledge of Aberdeen.' He asked that the municipal authorities should hand over to him bodies to be 'publiclie anatomized.' The Privy Council directed the Sheriff and the Town Councils of Aberdeen and Banff to deliver every year to the Mediciner twa bodies of men, being notable malefactors, executte in thair bounds, especiallie being rebells and outlawis; and failzeing of them, the bodies of the poorer sort, dieing in hospittals; or abortive bairnis, foundlings; or of those of no qualitie, who hes died of thare diseases..."

Dr William Gordon is referred to in a quotation in this same article as "William Gordon, medicus et alchymista eximius."

from BMJ 7 8

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Burgess, 1625. 5

2. Elected mediciner, 9 November 1632, University of Aberdeen. 5


William married Jean SANDILANDS, daughter of Doctor James SANDILANDS of Craibstone, Commissary of Aberdeen and Catherine PATERSON, on 31 July 1626 in Old Machar parish, Aberdeen, Scotland.1 2 (Jean SANDILANDS was baptised on 23 March 1609 in Edinburgh parish, Edinburgh, Scotland 6.)


  Marriage Notes:

"SANDELANDS
JOANE
WM. GORDONNE/
31/07/1626
168/B 60 10
Old Machar"

from Index of Marriages




"... Jean Sandilands, married : (1) Dr. William Gordon, Professor of Medicine, King's College, Aberdeen, and had James Gordon, parson of Banchory: and (2) John Gordon of Fechil, son of Robert of Straloch and had a son John, who married his cousin Rachel Sandilands (Morgan's Woodside, p. 163)."

from Lesmoir




" MEDICINERS

1632, November 9. Dr. William Gordon. 'He was elected Mediciner upon the demission of Dr. Patrick Dun. He received salarie and continued to his death, An. 1640, 10th March (Spald.). He is admitted a burgess of Aberdeen An. 1625...... In its original form this Chair constitutes the most ancient foundation for instruction in Medicine in Great Britain.....He was married to Jean Sandilands, daughter of Mr. James Sandilands, Commissary of Aberdeen (Reg. of Marriages).' ... Portrait by Jamesone in possession of the University."

from List of Officers, University and King's College Aberdeen 1495-1860 1 2 5

Sources


1 GRO Scotland, OPR Index of Marriages.

2 e-books, The House of Gordon vol. 2 ed. John Malcolm Bulloch (1907) Lesmoir by Douglas Wimberley.

3 e-books, Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae by Hew Scott.

4 e-books, The House of Gordon vol. 1 ed. John Malcolm Bulloch (1903) Coclarachie by Stephen Ree.

5 e-books, List of Officers University and King's College Aberdeen 1495-1860 (1893).

6 GRO Scotland, OPR Index of Births and Baptisms.

7 Internet Site, https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/college/journal/plague-pox-and-physician-aberdeen-1495-1516 Plague, pox and the physician in Aberdeen, 1495–1516 by K Jillings.

8 Newspaper, Magazine or Journal, British Medical Journal (January 1914).

© Copyright 2024 Mary McGonigal


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