Sir James Alexander Russell (6 April 1846 in Glassellan House,

Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye, is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some o ...

– 22 January 1918 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 ...

) was a Scottish physician who served as

Lord Provost of Edinburgh The Right Honourable Lord Provost of Edinburgh is elected by and is the convener of the City of Edinburgh Council and serves not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead for the entire city, ex officio the Lord-Lieutenant of ...

(1891–94). He was a pioneer in the development of public health services.

Life

He was born in the manse at Kilmodan the eldest of the eight children of Madeline Munro and her husband, Rev Alexander Fraser Russell (1814–1892), a Free Church of Scotland minister. He was educated at Stronafian Free Church School. He then attended 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 ...

, studying medicine and graduating with MB CM in 1868. He then took a degree in Public Health, graduating with a BSc in 1875. In 1876 he became a demonstrator in the Anatomy Department, dissecting bodies during lectures. In 1877 he made a strange change in career in began lecturing in the Theory of Plumbing at what was then Heriot-Watt College in Edinburgh. This focused on the health aspects of drainage and clean water supplies. In 1880 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 proposers were Sir William Turner,

Alexander Crum Brown Alexander Crum Brown Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, FRSE Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (26 March 1838 – 28 October 1922) was a Scottish Organic chemistry, organic chemist. Alexander Crum Brown Road in Edinburgh's King's Buildi ...

, Andrew Douglas Maclagan, and Sir John Murray. In 1880 he became a Councillor in Edinburgh and was made a Bailie in 1885. The city made him Lord Provost in 1891. He was knighted by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

in 1894 and received an honorary doctorate (LLD) from the University of Edinburgh in the same year. In 1894 he was also elected a member of the

Harveian Society of Edinburgh The Harveian Society of Edinburgh was founded in April 1782 by Andrew Duncan (physician, born 1744), Andrew Duncan. The Society holds an annual Festival in honour of the life and works of William Harvey, the physician who first correctly des ...

. He died at home, Woodville House on Canaan Lane (south of Newbattle Terrace) in south-west Edinburgh and is buried in

Dean Cemetery The Dean Cemetery is a historically important Victorian cemetery north of the Dean Village, west of Edinburgh city centre, in Scotland. It lies between Queensferry Road and the Water of Leith, bounded on its east side by Dean Path and o ...

in the central southern section with both his wives.

Family

In 1876, he married Marianne (or Marion) Rae Wilson, daughter of the late

James Wilson James Wilson may refer to: Politicians and government officials Canada * James Wilson (Upper Canada politician) (1770–1847), English-born farmer and political figure in Upper Canada * James Crocket Wilson (1841–1899), Canadian MP from Queb ...

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". ...

(1795–1856) who lived then at her father's house, Woodburn on Canaan Lane. She died in 1882. In 1897, he married a widow, Mrs Mary Ruth MacKenzie (née Prior).

References

External links

* 1846 births 1918 deaths 19th-century Scottish medical doctors Scottish anatomists Councillors in Edinburgh Lord provosts of Edinburgh Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh People from the Isle of Skye Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Academics of the University of Edinburgh Scottish Liberal Party politicians Burials at the Dean Cemetery 19th-century Scottish people 19th-century Scottish politicians Academics of Heriot-Watt University Scottish knights Knights Bachelor Members of the Harveian Society of Edinburgh {{Scotland-provost-stub