MacCormac, Sir William (1836-1901)
TitleMacCormac, Sir William (1836-1901)
ReferenceMS0124
Level of descriptionfonds
Date1884-1902
Admin./ biographical historySir William MacCormac was a General Surgeon and a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (1871). He was elected Assistant Surgeon to St. Thomas’s Hospital, London in 1871. He became full Surgeon in 1873. He was elected Consulting Surgeon to the hospital and Emeritus Lecturer on Clinical Surgery after resigning his active posts in 1893.
In 1876 MacCormac was present at the Battle of Alexinatz as chief surgeon of the National Aid Society for the Sick and Wounded in the Turco-Servian Campaign. He contributed to the success of the Seventh International Congress of Medicine which was held in London in 1881, when he was the General Secretary and Editor of the Transactions. For his services in this capacity he received the honour of knighthood on Dec. 7th, 1881. He was President of the Medical Society of London in 1880, and of the Metropolitan Branch of the British Medical Association in 1890. He was Surgeon to the French, Italian, Queen Charlotte’s, and the British Lying-in Hospitals, and was an Examiner in Surgery at the University of London and for Her Majesty’s Naval, Military, and Indian Medical Services. He was created a baronet in 1897, was appointed Surgeon-in-Ordinary to the Prince of Wales, afterwards King Edward VII, and was decorated K.C.V.O. on Sept. 27th, 1898, in recognition of services rendered to the Prince when he injured his knee.
At the Royal College of Surgeons MacCormac was elected a Member of the Council in 1883, and of the Court of Examiners in 1887. He served as President during the years 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, and 1900, being specially re-elected on the last occasion that he might occupy the Chair at the centenary of the College. He delivered the Bradshaw Lecture in 1893, and was Hunterian Orator in 1899.
War claimed him again in 1899—1900, when he was appointed Consulting Surgeon to the South African Field Force, and in this capacity visited military and civil hospitals in Cape Colony and Natal, going to the Front on four occasions. For these services he was created K.C.B. in 1901, and was gazetted Hon. Serjeant Surgeon to King Edward VII.
He abducted and married in 1861 Katherine Maria, daughter and heiress of John Charters, of Belfast. She survived him, but there were no children of the marriage. He died at Bath on Dec. 4th, 1901, and was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery.
MacCormac was a strikingly handsome man, standing six feet two inches in height and being proportionately well built. He was soft-voiced, singularly courteous in manner, and apparently—but only apparently—inattentive to what was being said to him. His industry, mastery of detail, rapidity of work, and Irish bonhomie made him a first-rate organizer. He was as widely known on the Continent of Europe as he was in England and Ireland, and he did much to break down the insularity which militated so long against the progress of British surgery, for he learned and taught what was done at home and abroad.
MacCormac was the best decorated practising surgeon of his generation. He was, in addition to the honours already mentioned, an Hon. Member of the Imperial Academy of St. Petersburg ; an Hon. Fellow or Member of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland, Paris, Brussels, Munich, and Rome; a Commander of the Legion of Honour; of the Orders of Dannebrog of Denmark, of the Crown of Italy, and the Takovo of Servia; of the Crown of Prussia, St. Iago of Portugal, North Star of Sweden, Ritter-Kreuz of Bavaria, Merit of Spain,
and the Medjidie.
An oil painting of MacCormac by H. Harris Brown was presented to Queen’s University, Belfast, on March 9th, 1897. There are two oil paintings by the Russian painter, Prince Troubetskoi; the better of these was presented to the College on the death of Lady MacCormac in 1923. Another oil painting hangs in the Medical Committee Room at St. Thomas’s Hospital. A marble bust by Alfred Drury, A.R.A., is in the Central Hall at St. Thomas’s Hospital; a replica in white marble was presented to the College by subscribers in 1903. A caricature by ‘Spy’ in Vanity Fair in 1906 gives a good idea of MacCormac’s height.
[Source: Entry from The Lives of the Fellows of The Royal College of Surgeons of England, Volume 1 A-MCD, p747]
In 1876 MacCormac was present at the Battle of Alexinatz as chief surgeon of the National Aid Society for the Sick and Wounded in the Turco-Servian Campaign. He contributed to the success of the Seventh International Congress of Medicine which was held in London in 1881, when he was the General Secretary and Editor of the Transactions. For his services in this capacity he received the honour of knighthood on Dec. 7th, 1881. He was President of the Medical Society of London in 1880, and of the Metropolitan Branch of the British Medical Association in 1890. He was Surgeon to the French, Italian, Queen Charlotte’s, and the British Lying-in Hospitals, and was an Examiner in Surgery at the University of London and for Her Majesty’s Naval, Military, and Indian Medical Services. He was created a baronet in 1897, was appointed Surgeon-in-Ordinary to the Prince of Wales, afterwards King Edward VII, and was decorated K.C.V.O. on Sept. 27th, 1898, in recognition of services rendered to the Prince when he injured his knee.
At the Royal College of Surgeons MacCormac was elected a Member of the Council in 1883, and of the Court of Examiners in 1887. He served as President during the years 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, and 1900, being specially re-elected on the last occasion that he might occupy the Chair at the centenary of the College. He delivered the Bradshaw Lecture in 1893, and was Hunterian Orator in 1899.
War claimed him again in 1899—1900, when he was appointed Consulting Surgeon to the South African Field Force, and in this capacity visited military and civil hospitals in Cape Colony and Natal, going to the Front on four occasions. For these services he was created K.C.B. in 1901, and was gazetted Hon. Serjeant Surgeon to King Edward VII.
He abducted and married in 1861 Katherine Maria, daughter and heiress of John Charters, of Belfast. She survived him, but there were no children of the marriage. He died at Bath on Dec. 4th, 1901, and was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery.
MacCormac was a strikingly handsome man, standing six feet two inches in height and being proportionately well built. He was soft-voiced, singularly courteous in manner, and apparently—but only apparently—inattentive to what was being said to him. His industry, mastery of detail, rapidity of work, and Irish bonhomie made him a first-rate organizer. He was as widely known on the Continent of Europe as he was in England and Ireland, and he did much to break down the insularity which militated so long against the progress of British surgery, for he learned and taught what was done at home and abroad.
MacCormac was the best decorated practising surgeon of his generation. He was, in addition to the honours already mentioned, an Hon. Member of the Imperial Academy of St. Petersburg ; an Hon. Fellow or Member of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland, Paris, Brussels, Munich, and Rome; a Commander of the Legion of Honour; of the Orders of Dannebrog of Denmark, of the Crown of Italy, and the Takovo of Servia; of the Crown of Prussia, St. Iago of Portugal, North Star of Sweden, Ritter-Kreuz of Bavaria, Merit of Spain,
and the Medjidie.
An oil painting of MacCormac by H. Harris Brown was presented to Queen’s University, Belfast, on March 9th, 1897. There are two oil paintings by the Russian painter, Prince Troubetskoi; the better of these was presented to the College on the death of Lady MacCormac in 1923. Another oil painting hangs in the Medical Committee Room at St. Thomas’s Hospital. A marble bust by Alfred Drury, A.R.A., is in the Central Hall at St. Thomas’s Hospital; a replica in white marble was presented to the College by subscribers in 1903. A caricature by ‘Spy’ in Vanity Fair in 1906 gives a good idea of MacCormac’s height.
[Source: Entry from The Lives of the Fellows of The Royal College of Surgeons of England, Volume 1 A-MCD, p747]
Scope and ContentThe collection has been divided into three sub-fonds:
1. Photographs and Press Cuttings
2. Case Books
3. Letters
1. Photographs and Press Cuttings
2. Case Books
3. Letters
Extent7 boxes, 1 folio, 1 volume
LanguageEnglish
System of arrangementArranged into three sub-fonds: 1) Photographs and Press Cuttings 2) Case Books 3) Letters
Conditions governing accessThis collection is available to everyone for research. It can be consulted in our Research Room at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 38-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PE. It is essential to book in advance so we can ensure material is available. Please email archives@rcseng.ac.uk to book a Research Room appointment.
Conditions governing reproductionCopies of material in the archives can be supplied for private study purposes only, depending on the condition of the documents. Some items within this collection may remain within copyright under the terms of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988; it is the responsibility of users to obtain the copyright holder's permission for reproduction of copyright material for purposes other than research or private study. Permission to publish material, in print or online, must be sought in advance from the Royal College of Surgeons of England and, where appropriate, the copyright holder. Please email archives@rcseng.ac.uk in the first instance.
Related objects
Also see album of "Photographs of the Officers of the International Medical Congress, London 1881. Collected by William MacCormac, Honorary Secretary General" (STR-RM 26).
Also see album of "Photographs of the Officers of the International Medical Congress, London 1881. Collected by William MacCormac, Honorary Secretary General" (STR-RM 26).
Persons keyword Sir William MacCormac, 1836-1901, Baronet, surgeon
