The grave of Peter Low, Glasgow Cathedral churchyard

Monument to Dr Peter Lowe, Glasgow Cathedral

Peter Lowe or Low ( – 1610) was a surgeon and founder of the institution now known as the

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, is an institute of physicians and surgeons in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by Peter Lowe after receiving a royal charter by James VI in 1599, as the Glasgow Faculty, it originally exis ...

Biography

Lowe was born in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

around 1550 and left in 1565 to study medicine on the Continent. He completed his studies in Paris and by 1589 he was chirurgian (surgeon) major to the Spanish Regiment in the service of Philip II of Spain at the siege of Paris. In the early 1590s he travelled in England with Alexander Dickson, the secretary to the

Earl of Errol Earl of Erroll () is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1453 for Sir William Hay. The subsidiary titles held by the Earl of Erroll are ''Lord Hay'' (created 1449) and ''Lord Slains'' (1452), both in the Peerage of Scotland. ...

, who, like his master, was a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. While there he surveyed several harbours, sending details back to

James VI James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

in Scotland. On his return to France he was appointed chirurgian ordinary to

Henry IV of France Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarch ...

. On his return to Scotland, he settled in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

around 1598. He found that the practice of medicine in the west of the country was in the hands of "cosoners, quack-salvers, charlitans, witches, charmers, and divers other sorts of abusers." He petitioned the King, then James VI, and was granted a Charter which enabled the foundation of a medical incorporation for physicians and surgeons. The college later expanded to include dentists, making it the only institution in the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

to admit all three professions. Lowe was dispatched by James VI in 1601 to accompany the

Earl of Lennox The Earl or Mormaer of Lennox was the ruler of the region of the Lennox in western Scotland. It was first created in the 12th century for David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon and later held by the Stewart dynasty. Ancient earls The first ear ...

on a mission to King Henry's court in Paris. In Glasgow he married as his second wife, Helen Wemyss, the daughter of the first Protestant minister of the Cathedral. He died in 1610 and is buried in the grounds of

Glasgow Cathedral Glasgow Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Ghlaschu) is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow, Scotland. It is the oldest cathedral in mainland Scotland and the oldest building in Glasgow. The cathedral was the seat of the Archbisho ...

against the southern boundary wall, where his grave is marked by a large monument. A large 19th-century bronze memorial to his memory also exists on the inner north wall within

Family

He married Helen Weems, daughter of Rev David Weems of the High Kirk of Glasgow. They had a son, John Lowe.

Writings

* ''Spanish Sickness'' (1596) * ''A Discourse on the Whole Art of Chirurgerie'' Surgery"(1597)

Artistic Recognition

A contemporary portrait of Lowe is held at the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow.Illustrated Catalogue of the Exhibition of Portraits in the New Galleries of Art in Corporation Buildings

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lowe, Peter 1610 deaths 16th-century Scottish medical doctors Scottish surgeons Year of birth uncertain Burials at Glasgow Cathedral