William Farquharson

Fellow

Date of Fellowship admission: 3/May/1785

William Farquharson was born in Balfour, Aberdeenshire, and earned his MD from Marischal College in 1778. Relocating to Edinburgh to practise, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and a member of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1788, serving as its president in 1806. He served as a medical witness in the sensationalised fratricide trial of Alexander Gordon of Gilmerton in 1795, volunteering to keep Gordon under house arrest rather than allowing him to be imprisoned. Farquharson's younger son Francis was a respected Ophthalmic Surgeon, and his grandson Robert served as an MP for 25 years.

Year of medical qualification

28/September/1778

Date of Licence

23/March/1785

Fellowship
The main qualification issued by the College, awarded regularly since the College’s foundation. This qualification was granted based on demonstrated breadth of experience and did not require an individual to pass a certain examination.