John Sibbald

Sir John Sibbald

Sir John Sibbald FRSE FBSE (1833–1905) was an 19th century Scottish physician and amateur botanist.[1] He served as President of the Royal Medical Society 1855/56 (aged only 22).

Life

He was born at 106 Lauriston Place[2] on 24 June 1833 the son of William Sibbald (1799-1877). His mother Jane Graham (1807-1875) was from Clonmel in Ireland.[3]

He was educated at Merchiston Castle School then studied Medicine at Edinburgh University. His first position was as House Surgeon at Perth Infirmary. He then did postgraduate studies in Paris. Returning to Britain he was Assistant to Sir Richard Quain at Brompton Hospital. He obtained his doctorate (MD) from Edinburgh University in 1854.[4]

From 1862 to 1870 he was living in Lochgilphead as Medical superintendent of Argyll District Asylum.[5] In 1870 he returned to Edinburgh to become Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital under Dr David Skae. At this time he lived at 16 Dalrymple Crescent in the Grange district.[6]

In 1872 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Ironically, this for his contributions to botany rather than medicine. His proposer was John Hutton Balfour.[7]

From 1879 to 1899 he was Commissioner of Lunacy for Scotland. He was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1899 for his contributions to medicine. He was granted a Coat of Arms as a Knight Bachelor in 1901 with the motto "Sursum Specto".[8]

He died of throat cancer at home 18 Great King Street[9] in Edinburgh on 20 April 1905.[10]

Family

In 1864 he married Sarah Jane Phelan (b.1841) daughter of Bernard Paul Phelan of Clonmel (thought to be a second cousin). They had six children.

Publications

  • Insanity in its Public Aspect (1877)
  • Plans of Modern Asylums (1898)
  • Suicide Statistics in Scotland (1900)

References


  1. ↑ Dictionary of British and Irish Botanists and Horticulturalists, Ray Desmond
  2. ↑ Edinburgh Post Office directory 1833
  3. ↑ http://www.dcedin.co.uk/TNG/getperson.php?personID=I522&tree=tree1
  4. ↑ BMJ May 1905
  5. ↑ http://www.dcedin.co.uk/TNG/getperson.php?personID=I522&tree=tree1
  6. ↑ Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1872
  7. ↑ Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0 902 198 84 X.
  8. ↑ http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/arthur-charles-fox-davies/armorial-families--a-directory-of-gentlemen-of-coat-armour-volume-2-dxo/page-180-armorial-families--a-directory-of-gentlemen-of-coat-armour-volume-2-dxo.shtml
  9. ↑ Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1904
  10. ↑ British Medical Journal obituaries 6 May 1905
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