Tuesday, 22 October 2013

Dr Archibald Pitcairne

This week is the 300th anniversary of the death of Dr Archibald Pitcairne, a significant Episcopalian layman and committed Jacobite, and who went to the aid of Sir Isaac Newton during his dark years.  Pitcairne is buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh. According to the DNB he died on 23 October 1713 and was buried on 26th, whilst the tombstone give 26th for his death.

 
I would be interested to learn of instances when Pitcairne makes an appearance in the SEC story.  He probably treated quite a number of early Episcopalians, eg., when the young Countess Dundonald contracted smallpox in Paisley in 1710, Pitcairne summoned Bishop Alexander Rose to her deathbed.
 
Should you be near Greyfriars this week, I hope you can pay your respects to Dr Pitcairne.
 
Roger Edwards
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1 comment:

  1. Anonymous23 October 2013 at 05:15

    The Greyfriars parish registers state that Pitcairn died on 23rd and was buried on 26th October: 'Mr Archbald Pitcairn Doctor of Medicine aged 60 years died of a decay 23 & buried 26.' (OPR685/1/86, p.475). If Roger’s photographs show what ODNB describes as his monument, it dates from 1800, and the erroneous date may have been due its being copied from an existing decayed gravestone inscription.
    Pitcairne died intestate, but a full transcript and images of Pitcairne’s testament, mainly consisting of an inventory referring to the terms of his marriage contract and a list of his assets, debts and moveable property, can be seen for free in the Famous Scots Archive section of www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk.
    Tristram Clarke, National Records of Scotland

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