Back to Physicians Database

James Stark

Fellow

James Stark was born in 1811, the son of John Stark, an Edinburgh printer. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and received his MD on 12 July 1833 before opening a general practice in the city. Stark developed a strong interest in vital statistics and published widely, including 'Vital Statistics of Scotland' in 1851 and reports on mortality in Edinburgh, Leith and Newhaven. In 1855 he was appointed the first Superintendent of Statistics to the General Register Office for Scotland and authored the annual reports from 1855 to 1870. Due to ill health, he resigned in 1874 and retired to Bridge of Allan, where he died on 2 July 1890.