James Stark of Huntfield

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...

FSSA FRCPE (9 November 1811–2 July 1890) was a 19th-century Scottish physician who became the first Superintendent of Statistics in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. He created the concept of vital statistics in 1854.

Life

The grave of James Stark, Logie Kirk churchyard

He was born on 9 November 1811 at 2 Bristo Street in Edinburgh's South Side, the son of Emma Brown (d.1815) and her husband,

John Stark Major-General John Stark (August 28, 1728 – May 8, 1822) was an American military officer who served during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. He became known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his exemplary service at the Batt ...

. He studied medicine at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

, and undertook postgraduate studies in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

and

Bonn The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr r ...

gaining his doctorate (MD) from Edinburgh in 1833. He then set up as a GP in the city at 21 Rutland Street in the West End of the city. In 1839 he became a Fellow of the

Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) is a medical royal college in Scotland. It is one of three organisations that sets the specialty training standards for physicians in the United Kingdom. It was established by Royal charter ...

and became Curator of their museum. In 1842 he was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

, the proposer being his father. In 1854, following the passing of the Scottish Registration Act, William Pitt Dundas in his role as

Registrar General for Scotland The General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) ( gd, Oifis Choitcheann a' Chlàraidh na h-Alba) was a non-ministerial directorate of the Scottish Government that administered the registration of births, deaths, marriages, divorces and adoptions ...

, requested that the government fund a Superintendent of Statistics; preferably of medical background. The

put forward Dr James Stark. He thereafter worked for the General Register Office of Scotland. He held the role until retiral in 1873, still living at 21 Rutland Street. He died at Underwood House in

Bridge of Allan Bridge of Allan ( sco, Brig Allan, gd, Drochaid Ailein), also known colloquially as ''Bofa'', is a town in the Stirling council area in Scotland, just north of the city of Stirling. Overlooked by the National Wallace Monument, it lies on the A ...

on 2 July 1890. He is buried nearby in

Logie Kirk Logie Kirk is an isolated but operational church east of Stirling in central Scotland serving Church of Scotland pastoral duties in the areas of Cambuskenneth, Bridge of Allan, Causewayhead (eastern Stirling), and formerly the estate of Airthrey C ...

. The grave lies to the north-east of the church. He is also memorialised on his parents' grave in St Cuthbert's Churchyard in central Edinburgh, at the west end of

Princes Street Gardens Princes Street Gardens are two adjacent public parks in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland, lying in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. The Gardens were created in the 1820s following the long draining of the Nor Loch and building of the New Town, ...

. The memorial lies against the outer north wall of the church.

Family

He was married to Isabella Black (1815-1874). Following her death he married Agnes Durie (1818-1907).Grave of James Stark, Logie Kirk churchyard

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stark, James 1811 births 1890 deaths Medical doctors from Edinburgh Alumni of the University of Edinburgh 19th-century Scottish medical doctors Scottish statisticians Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Scientists from Edinburgh Civil servants from Edinburgh