list of presidents of the royal college of surgeons of edinburgh list of presidents of the royal college of surgeons of edinburgh this is a complete list of the presidents of the royal college of surgeons of edinburgh. the trade guild of edinburgh barbers and surgeons was incorporated by the granting of a 'seal of cause' in 1505 to become 'the incorporation of surgeons and barbers of edinburgh'. the incorporation was granted a royal charter by king george iii in 1778, giving it the title of "the royal college of surgeons of the city of edinburgh". prior to 1778, the president was referred to as the deacon. the president is normally elected in november and now serves for three years. the current president is professor michael griffin obe. list of presidents 16th century deacons 1535–36 lancellot barbour 1536–37 anthony brussat 1537–38 no record 1539–40 george leithe 1540–42 no record 1543–55 william quhite 1555–57 alexander bruce 1557–58 nowie brussat 1558–59 alexander bruce 1559–60 patrick lindesay 1560–62 robert hendersoun 1562–65 james lindesay 1565–66 john chalmer 1566–67 nowie brussat 1567–68 alexander bruce 1568–69 nowie brussat 1569–70 alexander bruce 1570 alexander bruce 1571–72 no record 1572–73 robert hendersoun 1573–74 nowie brussat 1574–78 gilbert primrose 1578–80 robert hendersoun 1580–83 gilbert primrose 1583–84 robert hendersoun 1584–86 henrie blyth 1586–87 james craig 1587–88 james henrysoun 1588–89 james lindsay 1589–91 james henrysoun 1591–92 james craig 1592–94 hendrie lumisden 1594–95 james rig 1595–96 john naysmyth 1596–98 hendrie lumisden 1598–1600 andro scott 17th century 1600–01 james henrysoun 1601–00 henrie aikman 1602–03 gilbert primrose 1603–05 james skaithmure 1605–06 hendrie lumisden/james kinloch 1606–08 andro scott 1608–10 james kinloch 1610–12 henrie aikman 1612–14 david pringle 1614–16 james henrysoun 1616–18 andro scott 1618–19 james henrysoun 1619–20 james kinloch 1620–21 james brown/andro scott 1621–20 andro scott 1622–24 david pringle 1624–26 henry aikman 1626–27 john pringill 1627–29 andro scott 1629–31 laurence cockburne 1631–32 john ker 1632–33 john spang 1633–35 james rig 1635–37 john pringill 1637–39 david douglas 1639–40 john pringle 1640–41 david douglas 1641–42 james rig 1642–44 john scott 1644–46 alexander pennycuik 1646–48 david douglas 1648–51 james borthwick 1651–52 david kennedy 1652–55 william burnet 1655–57 thomas kincaid 1657–59 james cleilland 1659–61 james borthwick 1661–63 william burnet 1663–65 walter trumble 1665–67 arthur temple 1667–69 thomas carter 1669–71 arthur temple 1671–73 samwell cheislie 1673–75 john jossie 1675–77 william borthwick 1677–79 george stirling 1679–81 james nisbet 1681–83 william borthwick 1683–84 david turnbull 1684–85 david pringle 1685–87 thomas edgar 1687–89 john baillie 1689–91 george stirling 1691–92 john raynolds 1692–93 james crawford 1693–95 gideon eliot 1695–97 alexander monteith 1697–99 thomas dunlop acts in place of gideon eliot who refuses to accept office 1699 gideon eliot 1699–1700 alexander monteith 18th century 1701–02 alexander monteith acts in place of robert clerk who refuses to accept office 1702–04 james hamilton 1704–06 henry hamilton 1706–08 john mirrie 1708–10 alexander nesbet 1710–12 henry hamilton 1712–13 john monro 1714–16 john lauder 1716–18 john mcgill 1718–20 john lauder 1720–22 robert hope 1722–24 john knox 1724–25 john kirkwood 1725–26 john kennedy 1726–28 john kirkwood 1728–30 john kennedy 1730–32 john lauder 1732–34 john mcgill 1734–36 john kennedy 1736–37 john lauder 1737–39 william mitchel 1739–40 george cunninghame 1740–42 alexander nesbet 1742–44 george langlands 1744–46 george lauder 1746–48 george cunninghame 1748–50 adam drummond 1750–52 george cunningham 1752–54 james russell 1754–56 robert walker 1756–58 thomas young 1758–60 william chalmer 1760–62 john balfour 1762–64 alexander wood 1764–66 james rae 1766–68 james brodie 1768–70 robert smith 1770–72 david wardrobe 1772–74 william inglis 1774–76 andrew wood 1776–78 alexander hamilton presidents 1778–80 james gibson 1780–82 william chalmer 1782–84 william inglis 1784–86 thomas hay 1786–88 forrest dewar 1788–90 andrew wardrop 1790–92 william inglis 1792–94 thomas wood 1794–96 thomas hay 1796–98 james russell 1798–1800 andrew wood 19th century 1800–02 james law 1802–04 john bennet 1804–06 john rae 1806–08 william farquharson 1808–10 andrew inglis 1810–12 alexander gillespie 1812–14 james law 1814–16 sir william newbigging 1816–18 james bryce 1818–20 alexander gillespie 1820–22 john henry wishart 1822–24 william wood 1824–26 david hay 1826–28 david maclagan 1828–30 william wood, second term 1830–32 john gairdner 1832–34 john campbell 1834–36 william brown 1836–38 george ballingall 1838–40 adam hunter 1840–42 richard huie 1842–44 andrew fyfe 1844–46 james simson 1846–48 samuel alexander pagan 1848–49 john argyll robertson 1849–51 james syme 1851–53 james scarth combe 1853–55 archibald inglis 1855–57 andrew wood 1857–59 robert omond 1859–61 andrew douglas maclagan 1861–63 patrick small newbigging 1863–65 benjamin bell 1865–67 james dunsmure 1867–69 james spence 1869–72 james gillespie 1872–73 william walker 1873–75 james simson 1875–77 sir henry littlejohn 1877–79 sir patrick heron watson 1879–82 francis brodie imlach 1882–83 sir william turner 1883–84 john smith 1885–87 douglas argyll robertson 1887–89 joseph bell 1889–91 john duncan 1891–93 robert james blair cunynghame 1893–95 peter maclaren 1895–97 john struthers 1897–99 john chiene 20th century 1899–1901 james dunsmure 1901–03 sir john halliday croom 1903–05 sir patrick heron watson 1905–07 charles macgillivray 1907–10 joseph montagu cotterill 1910–12 sir george andreas berry 1912–14 francis mitchell caird 1914–17 sir james hodsdon 1917–19 robert johnston 1919–21 george mackay 1921–23 sir david wallace 1923–25 sir harold jalland stiles 1925–27 arthur logan turner 1927–29 alexander miles 1929–31 james haig ferguson 1931–33 john dowden 1933–35 arthur henry havens sinclair 1935–37 sir henry wade 1937–39 william james stuart 1939–41 harry moss traquair 1942–43 john william struthers 1943–45 robert william johnstone 1945–47 james methuen graham 1947–49 francis jardine 1949–51 walter quarry wood 1951–56 sir walter mercer 1957–62 sir john bruce 1962–64 james johnston mason brown 1964–67 george ian scott 1967–70 james roderick johnston cameron 1970–73 sir donald douglas 1973–76 james alexander ross 1976–79 andrew wilkinson 1979–82 francis john gillingham 1982–85 sir james fraser 1985–88 thomas jaffray mcnair 1989–91 geoffrey duncan chisholm 1991–94 patrick stewart boulter 1994–97 sir robert shields 1997–2000 arnold george dominic maran 21st century 2000–03 sir john temple 2003–06 john allan raymond smith 2006–09 john d. orr 2009–12 david tolley 2012–15 ian ritchie 2015–18 michael lavell-jones 2018–present michael griffin