Dr John Davy Morries Stirling of Blackgrange

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and Literature, letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". ...

(1810–21 October 1858) was a 19th-century Scottish physician, inventor and chemist. He discovered elaterine in 1833, and in 1846 took out a patent on "Stirling's toughened iron". In 1854 he was the first person to cast metal pipes (rather than roll them and weld them) much improving their integrity and lifespan.

Life

He was born John Davie Morries in 1810 the son of Jane Davie and Captain Andrew Morries (1779-1856) of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

. In 1820 the family was living at 4 Ladyfield Place in Edinburgh. He studied medicine at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

, gaining his doctorate (MD) in 1831. In 1834 he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was establis ...

, his proposer being Sir Robert Christison. In 1841 he became a member of the Highland Society. He was then living at 4 Ladyfield Place off Morrison Street in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

. He then practiced for some years in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

plus a brief time in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

. In 1854 he was living in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

. He died on 21 October 1858, and is buried in the churchyard of

Logie Kirk Logie Kirk, considered something of a ‘hidden gem, is nestled in a tranquil spot beneath Dumyat at the Western side of the Ochil Hills, east of Stirling in central Scotland. It serves Church of Scotland pastoral duties in the areas of Cambuskenn ...

east of

Stirling Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the roya ...

. He is also memorialised on his parents grave in

New Calton Burial Ground New Calton Burial Ground is a burial ground in Edinburgh. It was built as an overspill and functional replacement to Old Calton Burial Ground and lies half a mile to its east on Regent Road in Edinburgh, Scotland, on the south-east slopes of Cal ...

Family

On 7 May 1840 in

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

he married the heiress Mary Wedderburn Stirling of Blackgrange (1814–1893), daughter of Patrick Stirling of Kippendavie near

Dunblane Dunblane (, ) is a town in the council area of Stirling in central Scotland, and inside the historic boundaries of the county of Perthshire. It is a commuter town, with many residents making use of good transport links to much of the Central Be ...

. After their marriage he adopted the surname Stirling. They had one son, John M. Morries Stirling of Gogar and Blackgrange (b.1851 in Edinburgh, d.1912 in Nairn). In 1861 he is recorded as living in Headtown in

Clackmannanshire Clackmannanshire (; ; ), or the County of Clackmannan, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county, Council areas of Scotland, council area, registration counties, registration county and Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in Scotland ...

References

1810 births 1858 deaths Scottish inventors Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh {{UK-engineer-stub