Original 1843 Scottish Military Medical Commission – Dr John Graham MacDonald Burt – President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh – Charles Dickens Correspondent – Signed by the 5th Duke of Buccleuch.

A fascinating and highly researchable piece of Victorian British medical and military history, this original manuscript commission was issued on 19 June 1843 to the distinguished Scottish physician Dr John Graham MacDonald Burt (1809–1868), appointing him Assistant Surgeon to the Royal Midlothian or Edinburgh Yeomanry Cavalry.

The document is particularly interesting because both the recipient and the man who signed it were significant figures in 19th-century Scottish history, while further research reveals a remarkable connection between Dr Burt and Charles Dickens.

Written in an accomplished copperplate hand the commission bears its original dark seal and is signed “Buccleuch” by Walter Francis Montagu-Douglas-Scott (1806–1884), 5th Duke of Buccleuch and 7th Duke of Queensberry.

The commission appoints:

“John Graham Macdonald Burt, M.D.”

to serve as:

“Assistant Surgeon to the Corps of Royal Midlothian or Edinburgh Yeomanry Cavalry.”

Burt was instructed to discharge his medical duties diligently and to observe the orders of the monarch, his colonel and superior officers according to military regulations.

The commission was issued during the reign of Queen Victoria, only six years after her accession, and derives its authority from a Royal Warrant of 27 October 1842.

Dr John Graham MacDonald Burt (1809–1868).

Burt was considerably more important than his military appointment might initially suggest. He became one of the leading figures in Victorian Scottish medicine.

Born in Edinburgh in 1809, he established himself as a surgeon and physician in the city. He was later associated with the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, where he served as a manager, and maintained his medical practice at 88 George Street, Edinburgh.

Remarkably, Burt had also served as Surgeon in Scotland to King William IV, Queen Victoria's predecessor. He was additionally consulting physician to the North British Insurance Company. These details are independently recorded by the Charles Dickens Letters Project.

Only two years after the present commission, in 1845, Burt was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, one of Scotland's foremost learned institutions. The Society's records confirm his election on 3 February 1845 and identify his profession as physician.

His career eventually culminated in his election as President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, an office he held from 1863 to 1865.

His standing was such that after his death in 1868 the Royal College approved the substantial expenditure of £100 for a bust of Dr Burt for its collection. That sculpture remains associated with the College today.

Burt's papers and correspondence are also represented in the manuscript collections of the National Library of Scotland, including material among the papers of the celebrated Edinburgh publishing firm William Blackwood & Sons.

The Charles Dickens connection.

Perhaps the most intriguing association is with Charles Dickens (1812–1870).

A surviving letter written personally by Dickens to Dr Burt is recorded by the Charles Dickens Letters Project.

On 7 April 1854, Dickens wrote from Tavistock House in London introducing his friend, the celebrated actor Samuel Phelps, to Burt. Dickens explained that he was anxious for Phelps to make friends in Edinburgh and hoped Burt would become one of them. The letter demonstrates that Burt belonged to the professional and social circle in Edinburgh to which Dickens could confidently introduce one of his friends. The Dickens project specifically identifies Burt as an Edinburgh surgeon, manager of Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, consulting physician and former Surgeon in Scotland to William IV.

Please note: Charles Dickens did not sign this particular document. The significance is the documented historical association between Dickens and its recipient, Dr Burt.

Walter Francis, 5th Duke of Buccleuch

The commission itself is signed by another major Victorian figure, Walter Francis Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch and 7th Duke of Queensberry (1806–1884).

The Duke was one of the leading Scottish aristocrats of the Victorian period and an important public and political figure. He served as Lord Privy Seal during the 1840s; the National Galleries of Scotland holds portraits identifying him by that office and his ducal titles.

His handwritten “Buccleuch” signature appears prominently toward the lower right of this commission.

Burt's continuing military medical career

The 1843 appointment was not an isolated honorary association.

Nearly twenty years later, the official London Gazette of 23 August 1861 records:

“John Graham Macdonald Burt to be Surgeon. Dated 1st August, 1861.”

This provides useful independent evidence for the continuation of Burt's military medical involvement.

A superb piece for a specialist collection.

It would make an excellent addition to a collection of antique medical ephemera, historical manuscripts, military medicine, Scottish history or Victorian autographs, and would also display beautifully when professionally framed using conservation materials.

The document is now over 180 years old and represents an early chapter in the career of a physician who would eventually rise to the presidency of one of Britain's most distinguished medical institutions.

Condition

The document remains remarkably attractive and legible for its age. It retains the original period folds from storage, together with expected light age-related marks, handling and minor wear. The manuscript text remains substantially clear and legible.

Importantly, the original seal survives, as does the prominent Buccleuch signature.

Please study all photographs carefully as they form an important part of the condition description. The document will be supplied unframed so that its next owner may choose an appropriate conservation mounting or archival storage method.

Date: 19 June 1843 Recipient: Dr John Graham MacDonald Burt, M.D. (1809–1868) Appointment: Assistant Surgeon Unit: Royal Midlothian / Edinburgh Yeomanry Cavalry Signed by: Walter Francis Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch & 7th Duke of Queensberry Reign: Queen Victoria Country: Scotland, United Kingdom Original seal: Present

This is an original historical document, not a reproduction.

The document measures 325 x 212mm (12.8" x 8.35" )and will be shipped flat.

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