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President Jackie Taylor laying a wreath at the tomb of Peter Lowe

Photograph of College President, Jackie Taylor, laying a wreath at the tombstone of the founder of the College, Maister Peter Lowe, at Glasgow Cathedral.

c. 2018

President laying wreath

College Founders Animation

Have you ever wondered how and why our College was established? In this short video, we describe what led Peter Lowe to found our multi-disciplinary College in Glasgow in 1599, and how he did it.

Scan of Peter Lowe's Glove

The aboive scan is of the left-hand glove that is believed to have belonged to Maister Peter Lowe, the founder of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.

Peter Lowe's Glove by RCPSG Heritage on Sketchfab

Maister Peter Lowe's Gloves

Portrait of Maister Peter Lowe

Panoramic Video of College Hall

This panoramic video allows you to look around the College Hall, which was constructed and designed by architect John James Burnett in 1892.

Plans and elevations of Faculty building reconstruction
College Building Today
The 2nd Faculty Hall at St. Enoch Square

Portrait of James VI and I (1566-1625)

Standing three-quarter length in a brown lace-trimmed doublet.

There is some doubt regarding the artist: Gibson (1983) attributes it to Paulus van Somer; in 1993 Ewan Mundy suggested the Circle of David Mytens instead.

James was King of Scotland from 1567 and became King of England and Ireland following the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603. In 1599 he issued a Royal Charter, granting permission to Peter Lowe, Robert Hamilton, and William Spang (and their successors) to establish the body which is known today as the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. Lowe was also chief surgeon to the King’s son, Prince Henry.

James was a prolific writer and tackled a diverse range of styles and subjects. Of particular note is his “Counterblaste to Tobacco”, an early anti-tobacco publication which appeared some 300 years before Richard Doll convinced the world of the dangers of smoking. There is a contemporary collected edition of his works in the College library.

This portrait was obtained at auction around 1950 by Dr T. J. Honeyman and, after restoration, was presented to the College in 1952 by Professor G. B. Fleming. Although the exact date is unknown it was certainly painted after James acceded to the English throne, as he can be seen wearing the Lesser George of the Garter around his neck.

Paulus van Somer I (1576–1621) (circle of)

Circle of David Mytens

17th century

106

103 x 86 cm

Oil on canvas

Faculty Minutes 1602-1688

Faculty Minutes. “Ane short abrigment of the gift granted to the chirurgiones of Glasgow by the deceast King James in the year 1599” at front.

Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow

1602-1688

RCPSG/1/1/1/1a

The whole course of chirurgerie, wherein is briefly set downe the causes, signes, prognostications & curations of all sorts of tumors, wounds, vlcers, fractures, dislocations & all other diseases, vsually practiced by chirurgions, according to the opinion of all our auncient doctours in chirurgerie.

First edition of Peter Lowe's comprehensive surgical textbook, the first such book to be printed in English. Three further editions were published.

Lowe, Peter, 1550?-1612?

1597

Bookstore LOW

Printed by Thomas Purfoot

London

An easie, certaine, and perfect method, to cure and preuent the Spanish sicknes : whereby the learned and skilfull chirurgian may heale a great many other diseases

The first book to be published by Maister Peter Lowe, on the subject of syphilis.

Lowe, Peter, 1550?-1612?

1596

Bookstore LOW

Printed by James Roberts

London

L'Eglise Saint-Côme de Paris (1255-1836) et l'amphithéâtre d'anatomie de Saint-Cosme (1691)

Reproduced by permission of the Bibliothèque nationale de France

Dauchez, Henri

1904

A. Picard et fils

Paris

Old Tombs, Glasgow Cathedral

Lithograph illustration of the tombs in the churchyard of Glasgow Cathedral. The tomb of Peter Lowe is included, but only the names of John and James Lowe are visible.

19th century

288

Miller, Robert

Buchanan, David S.

paper

44 x 55 cm

Mr Colin MacKay laying a wreath at the tomb of Peter Lowe

Photograph of College President, Mr Colin MacKay, laying a wreath at the tombstone of the founder of the College, Maister Peter Lowe, at Glasgow Cathedral.

5 December 1999

RCPSG/1/12/4/812/3

photograph

Maister Peter Lowe's Gloves

A pair of leather gauntlet gloves with metal thread embroidery, believed to have belonged to Maister Peter Lowe, the founder of the incorporation now known as Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.

They may possibly have been given as a gift to symbolise loyalty and service, as was customary. The gloves were donated to the College by Mrs Hamilton Gray, the widow of the Reverend John Hamilton Gray, in 1867. Reverend John Hamilton Gray was Minister of the Parish of Carntyne and was a descendent of Maister Lowe, his family having married into the Lowe family.

The embroidery work which they display is undoubtedly of a professional nature. The formal pattern of foliage, mythical animals, and cupola within arched pillars is typical of the period 1600-1620. The outlining of the fingers of the gloves with metal braid and the depth of the gauntlets suggest the date of around 1600-1610.

c. 1600-1610

2019/7

2 x 31 x 13 cm (per glove)

leather

metal

Notarial copy of the Faculty's Royal charter

Notarial copy (1804) of Faculty Charter given by James VI in 1599 to Peter Lowe.

1804

RCPSG/1/8/10/1-3

paper

Portrait of Maister Peter Lowe

Portrait of Maister Peter Lowe, standing half-length in robes with his hand resting on a book.

Peter Lowe was a Scottish surgeon who studied medicine and surgery at the Conferie de St Come et St Damien in Paris, and served as Surgeon in Ordinary to King Henry IV of France.

He returned to Glasgow in 1598 and, finding medical and surgical standards in the town lacking, decided to petition King James VI. The King responded by granting a Royal Charter in 1599, granting Lowe and Hamilton (and their successors) the power to examine and license physicians and surgeons in the West of Scotland.

The Charter was ratified by an Act of the Scottish Parliament in 1672, and is the founding document of the organisation known today as the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.

This is a copy of the original portrait, made in 1822.

Circle of David Mytens

1822, after an earlier work

99

116.5 x 96 cm

Oil on canvas