Doctor John Nimmo, MD

DOCTOR JOHN NIMMO, MD

is the son of William Nimmo, Surgeon in Kirkintilloch, and his wife, Janet Hamilton. He was born on 22 December 1779 and baptised four days later [Registrar General for Scotland, New Register House, Edinburgh, Kirkintilloch Baptisms, reference OPR.498/2, microfilm frame 136]. [Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, index, FamilySearch] https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XY82-5X5

He was President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow for the years1808 to 1810 [Johanna Geyer-Kordesch and Fiona Macdonald, The History of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, 1599-1858 (The Hambledon Press, 1999), page 429].

Doctor John Nimmo was Secretary of the Glasgow Humane Society for the years 1812 to 1816 [James Cleland, Annals of Glasgow comprising an Account of the Public Buildings, Charities, and the Rise and Progress of the City (Glasgow: For Behoof of the Funds of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, 1816), page 156]. A Humane Society Minute which evidently belongs to year 1816 refers to one of his reports: "The friends of humanity are deeply indebted to Dr. John Nimmo, the Society's Secretary, alike for his disinterested, professional, and general services. From a Report which he has lately made to the Society, it appears, that from its commencement to 16th February 1816, there have been 156 persons saved from a watery grave, by aid of the Institution; of that number, 26 were saved during 1815 [James Cleland, LL.D., The Annals of Glasgow comprising an Account of the Public Buildings, Charities, and the Rise and Progress of the City (Glasgow: John Smith & Son; Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh; and Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown & Green, London, M.DCCC.XXIX), page 209].

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[Neil Reid Ford wrote (2010) in an email message to Michael Delahunt]

[Dr. John Nimmo, a physician in Glasgow] Nimmo features in a book by S. G. Checkland: The Gladstones. A Family Biography, 1764-1851 (Cambridge University Press, 1971), page 53 and others]. The Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number is 72-134611 and the ISBN is 0 521 079667 should you wish to read about Nimmo and his doings in Glasgow.

I suspect that John Nimmo was a frequent visitor to Castlehill. I can't be sure of this yet but he must have been on good terms with his uncle, John Reid of Castlehill, for he encouraged him to write a letter to the Farmer's Magazine about the improvements he had been making to the land he farmed at Castlehill: Farmer's Magazine, Volume XI (Edinburgh, 1810), pp. 43-45 for John Reid's letter and John Nimmo's covering letter. If you do a Google Book Search you should find this without difficulty.

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[Following are transcriptions made July 2010 by Neil Reid Ford of original records archived in Glasgow, Scotland, in the Glasgow Room in the Mitchell Library which adjoins the Archives Department for the former Strathclyde Region. This facility also houses a family history research facility.]

THE NIMMO DESCENDANTS OF JANET HAMILTON

                   1 

11 January 1756. Janet daughter lawfull to Robert Hamilton, Kirktoun & Agnes Alexander, Janr 11, 1756.

Source: Registrar General for Scotland, New Register House, Edinburgh, East Kilbride Baptisms, ref. OPR.643/2, frame 337.

Comment: This is probably the date of the baptism.

                   2 

26 December 1779. John lawll son to William Nimmo, Surg in Kirkintilloch, & Janet Hamilton born the 22d Decr 1779 and bapt 26th same month by .........

Source: Ibidem, Kirkintilloch Baptisms, ref. OPR.498/2, frame 136.

Comment: The name of the minister who baptised John Nimmo cannot be identified because of damage to the register.

                   3 

1 September 1781. Robert lawful son of William Nimmo, Surgeon here, and Janet Hamilton his wife born 1st Sepr 1781 bapt by Mr Thomson.

Source: Ibidem, ref. OPR.498/2, frame 152.

                   4 

14 February 1782. John Paterson of Middle Shields gets renunciation January 14 and 19, 1782, by Agnes Hamilton, spouse of Robert Brown of Nether Kilwanet, Margaret Hamilton in Kirkton of Kilbride, Ann Hamilton, spouse of John Reid senior of Kittochside, and Janet Hamilton, spouse of William Nimmo, surgeon, Kirkintilloch, daughter of Robert Hamilton, smith, Kirkton of Kilbride; - in parts of Middle Shields, parish of Kilbride; - and of 3000 merks Scots in a bond and disposition to the said Robert Hamilton, September 16, 1757.

Source: Lanark Sasine Abridgements for 1782, abridgement no. 194, which cites Particular Register 21/203.

                   5 

20 September 1783. Jean lawful daur of William Nimmo, Surgeon here, & Janet Hamilton born 15th bap 20th Sepr 1783.

Source: Ibidem, ref. OPR.498/2, frame 172.

                   6 

26 October 1808. Dr. John Nimmo, Physician in Glasw. & Mary Gladstone l. d. of Thos. Gladstone, Merchnt, in Leith married 26th of Octr. by Mr. John ...... Relief Minister in Glasgow.

Source: Ibidem, Glasgow Marriages, ref. OPR.644.1/28, frame 3137.

Comment: (1) The name of the minister who married John Nimmo and Mary Gladstone cannot be read from the microfilm copy of the register. If his name cannot be identified from another source then the original record may need to be consulted. (2) This entry confirms that Mary Gladstone is the daughter of Thomas Gladstone, merchant in Leith, and it might reasonably be deduced, therefore, that she is the sister of Sir John Gladstone, merchant in Liverpool, and the aunt of William Ewart Gladstone, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on more than one occasion. For confirmation of the relationship between Mary and John Gladstone see S. G. Checkland, The Gladstones. A Family Biography, 1764-1851 (Cambridge University Press, 1971), page 137-8.

                 7 

February 1826. Dr John Nimmo, Physician, & Mary Gladstone, a law: son William bo: 18th August 1809. a law: daur: Helen bo: 10th June 1811, a law: daur: Janet born 4th March 1813, a law: son Thomas bo: 17th March 1815, a law: daur: Ann Jane bo: 23d April 1817, a law: son John bo: 25th April 1819, a law: son Murray, bo: 23d December 1820. Wit: Andrew White & Andrew Bannatyne

Source: Ibidem, Glasgow Baptisms, ref. OPR.644.1/32, frame 4006.

Comment: This is a late entry. All of the surviving children of Dr. John Nimmo and Mary Gladstone appear to have been recorded here.

                    8 

1835. James Drew, Writer in Glasgow, & Janet Nimmo, residing in ……. l. d. of the deceased Dr. John Nimmo, late physician in Glasgow, married 28 July by Mr John .......... Burgher Minister in Edinburgh.

Source: Ibidem, Glasgow Marriages, ref. OPR.644.1/41, frame 7185.

Comment: Janet Nimmo's place of residence cannot be read from the microfilm copy of this register, although it may be Barmuir, or possibly Barhead. Neither can the surname of the minster be read. If this information cannot be identified from another source then the original record may need to be consulted.

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Neil Reid Ford copied (2010) the following extracts from

MEMORIALS OF THE FACULTY OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS OF GLASGOW, 1599-1850 (Alexander Duncan, B.A.Lond., Secretary and Librarian to the Faculty. Published by James Maclehose and Sons, Glasgow, 1896).

316. WILLIAM NIMMO. Entered in 1875. Resided in 1789 above 169 High Street. Married Janet Hamilton. He is stated by Strang to have been the first medical man in Glasgow to inoculate with cow-pox. Father of No. 369 (?). Brother of No. 327, who was his partner. Died in 1802 (Ref. Strang’s Glasgow Clubs, second edition, 60).

Comment: Duncan notes (page 153) that William Nimmo is mentioned as the first surgeon in the city who attempted vaccination, the subject of the operation being a relative of his own (He says that this was in 1800 and cites Strang’s Glasgow Clubs, second edition, page 248.

327. ALEXANDER NIMMO. Entered in 1787. Brother of 317 (This is an error; John Nimmo is actually numbered 316) whose partner he was.

369. JOHN NIMMO. Entered as physician in 1805. M.D. Edinburgh, 1804 (Thesis: “De quibusdam foetui propriis”). Physician to the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, 1809. In 1814 he addressed to the Managers of the Infirmary a “Memorial relative to a motion for establishing a system of out-patients.” Married Mary Gladstone (or Gladestone), sister of Mr. (afterwards Sir) John Gladstone of Liverpool, father of the Right Hon. Wm. Ewart Gladstone. President 1808-10. On the death of Dr. Freer in 1827, Dr. Nimmo was spoken of as his successor in the Chair of Medicine, but he died in the same year (Ref. Lancet, 1827. 120).

469. WILLIAM NIMMO. Entered in 1831. (Probationary Essay, “Illustrations of the Theory of Mental Derangement”). M.D. Glasgow, 1835. Assistant-surgeon to the Eye Infirmary; Lecturer in Surgery in College Street. In 1836 he went out to Demerara [a British colony in South America, which in 1831 united with Berbice to form British Guiana, and became in the 20th century the sovereign country of Guyana], where he died in 1841. Author of: Description of the Anatomy of Inguinal and Femoral Hernia (4to, Glasgow, 1835).

1822 A.D.

Comment: Alexander Duncan was unaware of the fact that this William Nimmo was the eldest son of John Nimmo [Matriculation Albums of Glasgow University, entry 11093 0n page 334].

Neil also comments:

I am reminded by this publication that Surgeons were not always Doctors, at least not during the earliest period of their history. William Nimmo and his brother Alexander were probably not Doctors, whereas William's son John was a Doctor (Physician) and his grandson William was a Doctor and a Surgeon. In modern Scotland (I am pleased to report), it is not possible to be a surgeon if you are not a Doctor. It is the custom here for Surgeons, once they are promoted to the rank of Consultant Surgeon, to be addressed as Mister rather than Doctor, a custom which recalls the early division between the two professions.

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The following are EXTRACTS FROM THE

MATRICULATION ALBUMS OF GLASGOW UNIVERSITY

transcribed (2010) by Neil Reid Ford:

1793 A.D.

5477 JOANNES NIMMO filius natu maximus Gulielmi Medici in Par: de Kirkintulloch natus in Com: de Dumbarton.

One of the Duxes of the Grammar School of Glasgow, 1790, 1791, 1793, 1794. M.D. Edin. 1804 M.F.P.S.G. 1805. President of Faculty 1808-10. Physician to the Royal Infirmary of Glasgow, 1809. Died in 1827. Brother of 5496 [Robert Hamilton Nimmo]; father of 11093 [William Nimmo]. Married Mary Gladstone, aunt of 10695 [Robert Gladstone], and the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, who were cousins of 9995 [Thomas Steuart Gladstone] and 11174 [William Gladstone, 1809 - 1873].

Source: W. Innes Addison, The Matriculation Albums of the University of Glasgow From 1728 to 1858 (James Maclehose and Sons, Glasgow, 1913), entry 5477 on page 172.

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