John Wedderburn 1599-1679

Sir John WEDDERBURN 1599-1679

Biographical Note

Wedderburn was born in Dundee, the fifth son of Alexander Wedderburn of Kingennie and Helen Ramsay. He studied at St Andrews University between 1615 and 1618, when he graduated M.A. He taught there as a regent until 1630 but thereafter fully embraced the practice of medicine, and travelled a lot, studying on the continent. He moved to England in the early 1640s, not returning to Scotland until old age. He was awarded a doctorate of medicine at Oxford University in 1646 and attended the king and his court when in that city. He became a physician-in-ordinary to the King in 1648 and a licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians in 1649. After the Restoration he was knighted. By this time he was very well off from his medical practice. Around 1662 he retired to Gosford, East Lothian, an estate he had purchased in 1659 for a nephew, where he died in July 1679.

Books

Wedderburn bequeathed his library of some 1350 volumes to St Leonard’s College, St Andrews University. A list (two copies) of items, grouped by broad subject was drawn up shortly after the bequest (although dated 1678) The collection was mainly of material of medical interest, but also included books on many other subjects. Today, all identified Wedderburn copies are kept together in St Andrews University Library and have the shelf prefix ‘Wed’.

Sources

• St Andrews University Library MS UYLY 106/1: Catalogue of the Wedderburn Bequest [see https://collections.st-andrews.ac.uk/item/st-leonards-college-murray-and-wedderburn-gifts/2077479 for a digital version (fols 45-88)]
• Millar, A. H., revised by Roger Hutchins ‘Wedderburn, Sir John (1599-1679), physician’ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
• Information from Murray Simpson.