Royal Celtic Society News

Lecture and Lunch with Professor David Purdie

Jan 7, 2023

David PurdieThe Royal Celtic Society’s first event of 2023 will take the form of a lecture followed by lunch at the Scottish Arts Club, on 9 February.  Our speaker will be Professor David Purdie and his subject will be The MDs of the Forty Five.

 Professor Purdie explains:  “The lecture will focus on the three medical colleagues who attended Prince Charles Edward during the rising of 1745-46.  These were Drs Rattray, Thriepland and Cameron.  Their CVs are most interesting; one lost his practice, one his liberty and one his head!  All three had remarkable adventures during and after the Forty Five.

“All three have descendants alive today and resident in or near Edinburgh; Andrew Thriepland of Fingask, Donald Cameron, younger of Lochiel MSP, and Lachlan Rattray of Rattray will attend and have agreed to join me on stage for the Question and Answer session.”

 
David Purdie FRSA. FRCPE graduated in Medicine and Surgery from Glasgow University and was latterly Postgraduate Dean of the Medical School of the Universities of York and Hull.  He is a Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Studies in the Humanities Department of Edinburgh University, where his research field centres on the scientific and literary components of the Scottish Enlightenment.
 

His published work includes books on the philosopher and historian David Hume, the poet Robert Burns and the novelist Sir Walter Scott.  He is a speech writer and advisor to several Members of Parliament.  He belongs to the British Society for the History of Philosophy, the Speculative Society of Edinburgh – and, of course, the Royal Celtic Society.