James Wardrop

Who was James Wardrop?

James Wardrop FRSE FRCSEd FRCS was a Scottish surgeon and ophthalmologist.

Wardrop was born the youngest son of James and Marjorie Wardrop in Torbane Hill, West Lothian, but at four years of age moved with the family to live in Edinburgh where he attended the High School, and then St Andrews University. In 1800 he was apprenticed to a firm of surgeon apothecaries which included his uncle Andrew Wardrop, first president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and in 1801 was appointed House Surgeon at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

He trained in London, Paris and Vienna. He was admitted a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1804. He worked as an ophthalmic surgeon in Edinburgh 1804–08 and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1808, upon the proposal of Andrew Wardrop, Alexander Keith and James Russell. He worked as an ophthalmic surgeon in London 1809–69; and gained his honorary MD degree at St Andrews University in 1834.

Wardrop taught surgery from 1826 at the Aldersgate Street medical academy with Lawrence and Tyrrell, and published surgical treatises. Wardrop was early appointed surgeon-extraordinary by the Prince Regent.