Dr William McGill, MD LRCP Edin. FFPSG LFPSG

William McGill

by Colin Campbell

William McGill was born in Port William, Wigtonshire, on 27th January 1817 to Robert McGill and Helen Gifford.

He became a Licentiate of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow in 1848 (a Fellow in 1863) and became a Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh in 1859.

By 1856 he had been engaged by the City of Glasgow Police to be Physician to the force.

The task of a Physician to a Police Force was multi-faceted. Not only did the Physician have to be available to give forensic evidence at criminal trials (especially in the matter of sanity) but also be a general practitioner to the members of the force and their families.

He graduated MD from Glasgow University in 1867.

There is a suggestion that in 1860 he might have practiced first as a surgeon at 4 Duke Street, Glasgow with a house nearby at 3 Balmanno Street.

By 1863 had had a home and consulting rooms at 183 George Street and by 1880 he had moved to 9 Jane Street (now West George Street), Blythswood Square, Glasgow with his consulting rooms at 9 South Albion Street (the Main Police Office). He was for 40 years the Physician to the City of Glasgow Police and retired in 1896.

He died on 17 June 1899, aged 82. His wife, Lilias Muter, daughter of the Rev Robert Muter had predeceased him, and they had had no children.

(Ack: Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (Image), text, Glasgow Police Museum, Glasgow University Roll of Graduates, Scottish PO Directories, ScotlandsPeople.)

William McGill Monument