Charles Alston

Charles Alston was born on 24 October 1685 in Hamilton. He entered the University of Glasgow in 1700 but left following the death of his father in 1703. The Duchess of Hamilton, recognising his potential, arranged for him to study law under James Anderson, a Writer to the Signet in Edinburgh. After three years Alston entered her service as principal servant at Hamilton Palace. Following the 1715 Jacobite rising, William Arthur, Superintendent of the Physic Garden at Holyrood, fled to Italy, and the Duchess secured the post for Alston. He thereby became King's Botanist and Regius Professor of Botany, posts he held for life. Lacking formal qualifications, Alston returned to Glasgow to complete his studies, later spending a year at Leiden under Boerhaave. He received his MD from the University of Glasgow on 2 December 1719 and was admitted as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh on 1 August 1721. Alston served as College Secretary from 1725 for twenty-one years. He died in Edinburgh on 22 November 1760.