John Hunter (1728-1793)

Surgeon and anatomist

John Hunter joined his older brother, William Hunter, in London in 1748. He became skilled at dissection, received training in surgery and served as an army surgeon. Back in London he produced treatises on blood inflammation and gunshot wounds, on the natural history of human teeth and on venereal disease. His publications, experiments and teaching - Edward Jenner was one of his students – were aimed at improving medical and surgical knowledge. He was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society in 1767. He died suddenly on 16 October 1793 and is buried in Westminster Abbey. His comparative anatomy and natural history collection of 15,000 specimens and preparations is held at the Hunterian Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons in London. His birthplace and childhood home, now Hunter House, is a community centre.

Birth in 1728

John Hunter was born on 13 February 1728, the son of John Hunter and [Agnes] Paul. The entry in the Old Parish Register (OPR) for East Kilbride gives the date of baptism as 30 March 1728 but leaves a blank for his mother's forename.

Birth and baptism entry for John Hunter (17 KB jpeg)
National Records of Scotland, OPR 643/1