Peers and Baronets who were doctors?

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S. S.

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May 26, 2025, 2:39:28 PM5/26/25
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If some remember, a few months ago I inquired as to which peers and baronets were clergymen and clergymen of other faiths. I yet again wish to know if someone can name any peers or baronets who were/are medical doctors/physicians/surgeons/veterinarians and dentists. As a soon-to-be doctor myself, I am particularly interested to see how this profession is represented among members of the peerage and baronetage. I know quite a few baronets were medical doctors/surgeons too.

Some individuals come to my mind: 
1st Viscount Dawson of Penn
1st Viscount Addison

S.S.

bx...@yahoo.com

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May 26, 2025, 3:09:40 PM5/26/25
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There have been several life peers who were physicians, but I assume you meant hereditary peers, when talking about the peerage.

Here  are the physicians that I found:

2nd and last Baron Amulree
Sir Thomas Barlow, 1st Bt.
Sir John Bradford, 1st Bt.
Sir John Broadbent, 2nd Bt.
1st Baron Horder
Sir Norman Moore, 1st Bt.
1st Baron Moran
Sir Frederick Taylor, 1st Bt.
Sir Thomas Watson, 1st Bt.

Brooke

marquess

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May 26, 2025, 3:19:26 PM5/26/25
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The first Lord Moniyhan was an abdominal surgeon. 

dpth...@gmail.com

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May 26, 2025, 3:19:44 PM5/26/25
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I think that the reason so many Baronets were doctors is not that they became doctors, but that in the 18th and 19th Century it became common to create people Baronets after they were already prominent physicians. 

dpth...@gmail.com

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May 26, 2025, 3:32:57 PM5/26/25
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Some peers who are listed as physicians in Complete Peerage:

1. John C Fairfax, 11th Lord Fairfax, was a physician in Maryland

2. Robert Dudley, Duke of Northumberland (d.1649)

3. Patrick Ruthven, so-called 7th Lord Ruthven (d.1652)

4. Robert Barnewall, 12th Lord Trimleston (d.1779)


In addition, several leading peers are said to have been Fellows of the College of Physicians, but I don't think any of them were actually physicians.

On Monday, May 26, 2025 at 1:39:28 PM UTC-5 S. S. wrote:

dpth...@gmail.com

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May 26, 2025, 4:00:10 PM5/26/25
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It is possible to do word searches in pdf copies of Complete Peerage and Complete Baronetage. Below is a list of Baronets who are called "physicians" in the Baronetage. Probably similiar searches could be done for "dentist", etc.

(Note: since this comes from Complete Baronetage, it covers Baronetal titles created through 1800. Later creations are not included, but similar searches could probably be done in Burke's and Debrett's.)

1. Sir Henry Holland, 1st Bt.

2. Sir Henry Middleton, probably 7th Bt. (d.1759)

3. Sir James Stonhouse, 10th & 7th Bt., was a physician as well as a clergyman.

4. Sir Benjamin Kemp, 7th Bt.

5. Sir George Hampson, 4th Bt.

6. Sir Edward Greaves or Graves, 1st Bt. Complete Baronetage says that he was the first physician ever given an hereditary title in recognition of such a role.

7. Sir Alexander Douglas, 7th Bt., of the 1625 creation.

8. Sir John Moncreiff, 5th Bt.

9. Sir George Duncan Gibb, who might have been 7th Bt., but never assumed the title

10. Sir James Hay, 4th Bt., of the 1635 creation.

11. Sir George Wakeman, 1st Bt.

12. Sir Thomas Williams, 1st Bt. (1674 creation)

13. Sir Thomas Archer Colt, 7th Bt.

14. Sir Alexander Fraser, 1st Bt. (1673 creation)

15. Sir Robert Cuningham, 1st Bt. (1673 creation)

16. Sir Alexander Bannerman, 6th Bt.

17. Sir William Sinclair, 2nd Bt. (1704 creation) seems to have been a Baptist preacher as well as a physician

18. Sir Alexander Dick, 3rd Bt.

19. Sir Hans Sloane, Bt.

20. Sir Edward Hulse, 1st Bt.

21. Sir Edward Wilmot, 1st Bt. (1759 creation)

22. Sir William Duncan, Bt. (1764 creation)

23. Sir John Pringle, Bt. (1766 creation)

24. Sir Clifton Wintringham, Bt.

25. Sir George Baker, Bt.

26. Sir John Elliott, Bt. (1778 creation)

27. Sir Richard Jebb, Bt.

28. Sir Lucas Pepys, 1st Bt.

29. Sir Hugh Reeve Beevor, 5th Bt.

30. Sir Walter Farquhar, Bt. (1796 creation)

31. Sir John Macnamara Hayes, Bt.

32. Sir Francis Milman, Bt.

33. Sir Thomas Molyneux, 1st Bt. (1730 creation)

34. Sir William Blunden, 4th Bt.

35. Sir Edward Barry, Bt.; and his son:

36. Sir Nathaniel Barry, 2nd Bt.

37. Sir George Leonard Staunton, Bt.

bx...@yahoo.com

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May 26, 2025, 4:07:52 PM5/26/25
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A few more peers who were physicians, including one current one:

3rd and last Baron Citrine
4th Baron Stamp
2nd Viscount Waverly
and the 4th (present) Baron Inverforth

Brooke

Denise Bellingham

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May 26, 2025, 4:39:29 PM5/26/25
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Heres another physician:
Sir Roger Bellingham, 6th Baronet, Castlebellingham

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Harry Merritt

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May 26, 2025, 5:33:28 PM5/26/25
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If not already mentioned: Sir Winston Churchill's doctor became 1st Baron Moran. Also, William Simon Pease, 3rd and final Baron Wardington, was a surgeon.

Robert Jewell

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May 26, 2025, 6:18:49 PM5/26/25
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Has anyone mentioned Baron Brain, the neurologist?

Peter de Loriol Chandieu

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May 27, 2025, 4:15:06 AM5/27/25
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One who comes to mind was my second cousin, William Adrian Larry Collier, 4th Baron Monkswell. He was a physician and disclaimed his peerage in 1964. He practiced for the most part in London. A charming self effacing man and a wonderful GP. 
He is best known for his brazen jape of enabling a group of Lesbians to abseil from the roof of the House of Lords, one landing on the speakers lap, in the 1980s.

Eleanor Doughty

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May 27, 2025, 5:11:16 AM5/27/25
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A few here from my list – 

The current Lord Terrington is a noted urologist
The current Lord Kilmarnock is/was a surgeon (he will be retired now)
The late Lord Muskerry was a radiologist
The late Lord Rea was a GP
The late Lord Colwyn was a dentist


Jonathan

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May 27, 2025, 5:37:37 AM5/27/25
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On Tuesday, 27 May 2025 at 09:15:06 UTC+1 Peter de Loriol Chandieu wrote:
One who comes to mind was my second cousin, William Adrian Larry Collier, 4th Baron Monkswell. He was a physician and disclaimed his peerage in 1964. He practiced for the most part in London. A charming self effacing man and a wonderful GP. 
He is best known for his brazen jape of enabling a group of Lesbians to abseil from the roof of the House of Lords, one landing on the speakers lap, in the 1980s.

Intrigued by your post, I looked up the Monkswells. It was the 5th Baron, who succeeded in 1984 and took his seat in the Lords (apparently the first to succeed to a title that had been disclaimed) who sponsored the group of lesbians who descended onto Black Rod's box. His father, who disclaimed upon inheriting the title in 1964, was a Communist, and fought in the Spanish Civil War. He later became a GP. There is lots about the colourful lives of both men in the latter's Telegraph obituary from 2020, which was no doubt reported in this group at the time.


Eleanor Doughty

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May 27, 2025, 6:41:02 AM5/27/25
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The 4th Lord Monkswell wrote to Harold Wilson when he disclaimed his title saying: ‘as a socialist and member of the Labour Party, it seems to me wrong that anyone should inherit a seat in parliament, with all the influence that goes with it.’ As he described, ‘although the House of Lords is not very powerful, there is no doubt that having a peerage does give one considerable influence. It is feudal.’ 

An interesting man.

dpth...@gmail.com

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May 27, 2025, 3:45:25 PM5/27/25
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One additional peer:

Baron Lister


and more Baronets:

Sir Caesar Hawkins, 1st Bt.

Sir Astley Paston Cooper, Bt.

Sir Stephen Love Hammick, Bt.

Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, Bt.

Sir James Barclay, 4th Bt.

Sir William Bowman, Bt.

Sir Alexander Christison, Bt.

Sir James R A Clark, Bt.

Sir Joseph Fayrer, Bt.

Sir William Fergusson, Bt.

Sir Stephen Love Hammick, Bt.

Sir William Lawrence, Bt.

Sir William MacCormac, Bt.

Sir Patrick Macgregor, Bt.

Sir James Paget, Bt.

Sir George H Porter, Bt.

Sir William Scovell Savory, Bt.

Sir Thomas Smith, Bt.

Sir Charles Tupper, Bt.

Sir Thomas Spencer Wells, Bt.

dpth...@gmail.com

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May 27, 2025, 3:46:12 PM5/27/25
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Unlike the list of Peers and Baronets who were clergyman, who almost always were peers who just happened also to be clergymen, the vast majority of Baronets who were medical doctors were created Baronets BECAUSE they were prominent medical men, and were not simply Baronets who also happened to be doctors.

On Monday, May 26, 2025 at 1:39:28 PM UTC-5 S. S. wrote:

malcolm davies

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May 27, 2025, 6:22:41 PM5/27/25
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I was aware of Lord Horder long before I became interested in peerage history.His Encyclopedia of Medicine was on the shelves in my father's surgery,being a standard work of the time.

malcolm davies

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May 27, 2025, 7:01:59 PM5/27/25
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One should add Lord Uvedale of North End who was a surgeon.

bx...@yahoo.com

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May 27, 2025, 7:12:44 PM5/27/25
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Not quite a baronet yet, but it looks like Thomas, son and ha of Sir Anthony Milnes Coates, 4th Bt. is a dentist-- or a doctor.  He's a graduate of the London School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Brooke



dpth...@gmail.com

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May 27, 2025, 7:21:49 PM5/27/25
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A few more:

Sir George Grymes, 4th Bt.

Sir Richard Croft, 6th Bt,

Sir Charles Buckworth-Herne-Sloane, 9th Bt.

Sir Thomas Steuart, 3rd Bt. (but never asssumed the title; 1698 creation)

Sir Charles Alexander Coote, 4th Bt., was a Licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons, and thus probably was a surgeon

Sir Augustus Alexander Brooke-Pechell, 7th Bt.

S. S.

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May 28, 2025, 10:13:00 AM5/28/25
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Thank you all for the information. Quite a large list I can make with the data. 

S.S.

BREMENMURRAY

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May 30, 2025, 11:39:55 AM5/30/25
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The late Earl of Donoughmore was a doctor and his first wife was a nurse.They met when he was training at St Marys Paddington
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