# List of presidents of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

This is an incomplete list of the presidents of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, which was granted its Royal Charter by Charles II in 1681.

## List of presidents

| President | Took office | Left office | Notes |
| Professor Andrew Elder | 2021 | | |
| Professor Angela Thomas | 2020 | 2021 | Acting President |
| Professor Andrew Elder | 2020 | 2020 | |
| Professor Derek Bell | 2014 | 2020 | |
| Dr Neil Dewhurst | 2010 | 2014 | |
| Professor Sir Neil Douglas | 2004 | 2010 | |
| Dr Niall Finlayson | 2001 | 2004 | |
| Professor James Petrie | 1997 | 2001 | |
| Dr John D Cash | 1994 | 1997 | |
| Dr Anthony Toft | 1991 | 1994 | |
| Professor John Richmond | 1988 | 1991 | |
| Professor Michael Oliver | 1985 | 1988 | |
| Professor Ronald Girdwood | 1982 | 1985 | |
| Professor John Strong | 1979 | 1982 | |
| Dr Ronald Robertson | 1976 | 1979 | |
| Professor Sir John Wenman Crofton | 1973 | 1976 | |
| Sir John Halliday Croom | 1970 | 1973 | |
| Dr Christopher William Clayson | 1966 | 1969 | |
| Sir Ian George Wilson Hill | 1963 | 1966 | |
| Sir James Davidson Stuart Cameron | 1960 | 1963 | |
| Dr Andrew Rae Gilchrist | 1957 | 1960 | |
| Sir Leybourne Stanley Patrick Davidson | 1953 | 1957 | |
| William Alister Alexander | 1951 | 1953 | |
| Sir David Kennedy Henderson | 1949 | 1951 | |
| William Douglas Denton Small | 1947 | 1949 | |
| David Murray Lyon | 1945 | 1947 | |
| Andrew Fergus Hewat | 1943 | 1945 | |
| Charles McNeil | 1940 | 1943 | |
| Alexander Goodall | 1937 | 1940 | |
| Professor William Thomas Ritchie | 1935 | 1937 | |
| Edwin Bramwell | 1933 | 1935 | Son of Byrom Bramwell (see below) |
| Robert Thin | 1931 | 1933 | |
| Norman Purvis Walker | 1929 | 1931 | |
| Robert Alexander Fleming | 1927 | 1929 | |
| George Matthew Robertson | 1925 | 1927 | |
| George Lovell Gulland | 1923 | 1925 | |
| Sir Robert William Philip | 1918 | 1923 | |
| Professor William Russell | 1916 | 1918 | |
| Alexander Hugh Freeland Barbour | 1914 | 1916 | |
| John James Graham Brown | 1912 | 1914 | Son of Thomas Brown Free Church moderator. Lecturer in Neurology in University of Edinburgh, born 6 September 1853; died 1925 |
| Sir Byrom Bramwell | 1910 | 1912 | |
| Sir William Allan Jamieson | 1908 | 1910 | |
| John Playfair | 1908 | 1908 | |
| Charles Edward Underhill | 1906 | 1908 | Died in office |
| John Playfair | 1904 | 1906 | |
| Sir Thomas Smith Clouston | 1902 | 1904 | |
| Sir Thomas Richard Fraser | 1900 | 1902 | |
| James Andrew | 1898 | 1900 | |
| Sir John Batty Tuke | 1895 | 1898 | |
| Sir William Tennant Gairdner | 1893 | 1895 | |
| Sir Alexander Russell Simpson | 1891 | 1893 | |
| Sir Thomas Grainger Stewart | 1889 | 1891 | |
| Robert Peel Ritchie | 1887 | 1889 | |
| Andrew Douglas Maclagan | 1884 | 1887 | |
| George William Balfour | 1882 | 1884 | |
| Daniel Rutherford Haldane | 1879 | 1882 | |
| Alexander Peddie | 1877 | 1879 | |
| Alexander Keiller | 1875 | 1877 | |
| William Henry Lowe | 1873 | 1875 | |
| Robert Paterson | 1871 | 1873 | |
| Andrew Halliday Douglas | 1869 | 1871 | |
| Dr John Moir | 1867 | 1869 | |
| Dr John Smith | 1865 | 1867 | |
| John Graham MacDonald Burt | 1863 | 1865 | |
| Dr David Craigie | 1861 | 1863 | |
| Alexander Wood | 1858 | 1861 | |
| David Maclagan | 1856 | 1857 | |
| James Begbie | 1854 | 1856 | |
| Thomas Stewart Traill | 1852 | 1854 | |
| Sir James Young Simpson | 1850 | 1852 | |
| Dr William Seller | 1848 | 1850 | |
| Sir Robert Christison | 1846 | 1848 | 2nd term |
| William Beilby | 1844 | 1846 | |
| Robert Renton | 1842 | 1844 | |
| Robert Graham | 1840 | 1842 | |
| Sir Robert Christison | 1838 | 1840 | 1st term |
| William Alison | 1836 | 1838 | |
| John Thomson | 1834 | 1836 | |
| Dr Joshua Henry Davidson | 1833 | 1834 | 2nd term |
| Dr John MacWhirter | 1831 | 1833 | |
| Dr Joshua Henry Davidson | 1829 | 1831 | 1st term |
| Dr Alexander Morison | 1827 | 1829 | |
| Dr Alexander Monro | 1825 | 1827 | |
| Dr Andrew Duncan, Snr | 1824 | 1825 | |
| Andrew Duncan, Jnr | 1822 | 1824 | |
| Dr James Buchan | 1819 | 1822 | |
| Dr Thomas Charles Hope | 1815 | 1819 | |
| Dr James Hamilton (the Younger) | 1812 | 1815 | |
| Dr James Home | 1809 | 1812 | |
| Dr Charles Stuart | 1806 | 1809 | |
| Dr Thomas Spens | 1803 | 1806 | son of Nathaniel Spens (see below) |
| Dr William Wright | 1801 | 1803 | |
| Dr James Gregory | 1798 | 1801 | |
| Dr Daniel Rutherford | 1796 | 1798 | |
| Dr Nathaniel Spens | 1794 | 1796 | |
| Dr James Hamilton the Elder | 1792 | 1794 | |
| Dr Andrew Duncan, Snr | 1790 | 1792 | |
| Dr Joseph Black | 1788 | 1790 | |
| Dr James Hay | 1786 | 1788 | |
| Dr John Hope | 1784 | 1786 | |
| Dr John Gardiner | 1782 | 1784 | |
| Dr Alexander Monro | 1779 | 1782 | |
| Dr Gregory Grant | 1777 | 1779 | |
| Dr Francis Home | 1775 | 1777 | |
| Dr William Cullen | 1773 | 1775 | |
| Dr Colin Drummond | 1772 | 1773 | |
| Dr John Boswell | 1770 | 1772 | |
| Sir Stuart Threipland | 1766 | 1770 | |
| Dr Robert Whytt | 1763 | 1766 | |
| Sir Alexander Dick, Bt | 1756 | 1763 | |
| Dr John Rutherford | 1752 | 1756 | |
| Dr William Porterfield | 1748 | 1752 | |
| Dr William Cochran | 1744 | 1748 | |
| Dr John Clerk | 1740 | 1744 | |
| Dr Robert Lowis | 1735 | 1740 | |
| Dr John Riddell | 1731 | 1735 | |
| Dr Francis Pringle | 1727 | 1731 | |
| Dr John Drummond | 1722 | 1727 | |
| Dr James Forrest | 1719 | 1722 | |
| Dr William Stewart | 1716 | 1719 | |
| Dr Matthew Sinclare | 1708 | 1716 | |
| Dr William Eccles | 1706 | 1708 | |
| Dr James Halket | 1704 | 1706 | |
| Dr Alexander Dundas | 1702 | 1704 | |
| Dr Robert Trotter | 1700 | 1702 | |
| Dr Matthew Sinclare | 1698 | 1700 | |
| Sir Thomas Burnet | 1696 | 1698 | |
| Dr Robert Trotter | 1694 | 1698 | |
| Sir Archibald Stevenson | 1694 | 1694 | 2nd term |
| Sir Andrew Balfour | 1685 | ? | |
| Sir Robert Sibbald | 1684 | 1685 | |
| Sir Archibald Stevenson | 1681 | 1684 | 1st term, elected ‘at the inaugural meeting of the College on 18 January 1682’ |