Matthew Baillie (1761–1823): From Shotts to Duntisbourne Abbots

Abstract

Matthew Baillie was born in Shotts, Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1761 and died at Duntisbourne Abbots, Gloucestershire, England in 1823. In the intervening years he established himself as one of the foremost anatomists of his day, publishing one of the earliest treatises on pathological anatomy, and then as physician, eventually ministering to the Royal household and other notable patients and earning a considerable fortune in the process. Amongst his many honours he received an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, where he is commemorated in the frieze in the Great Hall. This article follows the trajectory of his career, introducing material not found in previous biographies.