The plaque is on the back of one of the choristers stalls in the chancel.
North side, back row, seventh from the west end.
BARONET K.C.B.,M.D.
DIRECTOR GENERAL ARMY
MEDICAL DEPARTMENT
DIED 1858 AGE 87
DD: THE OFFICERS ARMY MEDICAL DEPT.
Further Information
Sir James McGrigor entered the service in September 1793. He served in Holland and Flanders in 1794 and 5; in the West Indies in 1796; in the East Indies in 1798; in Egypt as Superintending Surgeon of the Anglo-Indian Army in 1801; with the army at Walcheren in 1809, and in the peninsula from 1811 to the end of the war. Sir James has received the War Medal with four clasps for Badajoz, Vittoria, Pyrenees and Toulouse. In 1815 he was placed at the head of the Medical Board. Knighted 1814 - created a baronet in 1831, received rewards for long and distinguished service in the field, and for many works of high talent bearing upon the health and well-doing of the soldier.
[From the 1873 Guide to the Church]
Sir James McGrigor, first baronet (1771–1858), military surgeon, was born at Cromdale, Inverness-shire, on 9 April 1771, the eldest of the three sons of Colquhoun McGrigor (d. 1800), merchant of Aberdeen, and his wife, Anne, daughter of Lewis Grant of Lathendrey in Strathspey, Inverness-shire. He was educated at the grammar school at Aberdeen, and at Marischal College, where he graduated MA in 1788 and studied medicine at Aberdeen and Edinburgh.
After the outbreak of war with France McGrigor purchased the post of surgeon to De Burgh's regiment, later famous as the 88th or Connaught Rangers. His appointment was dated 13 September 1793, and his name was at first spelt MacGregor in the army list. He served in the West Indies (1795 - 1796) and in May 1799 he landed with the 88th at Bombay, proceeding with it afterwards to Ceylon, and in 1801 was appointed superintending surgeon of the force of 8000 European and Indian troops sent up the Red Sea to join the army in Egypt, under Major-General David Baird. When the army evacuated Egypt, McGrigor crossed the desert to Suez, and returned to Bombay and thence to England.
McGrigor was transferred to the Royal Horse Guards (Blues), and served with them at Canterbury and Windsor, where he was noticed by George III and Queen Charlotte. McGrigor proceeded MD at Marischal College on 20 February 1804, and on 27 June 1805 was made one of the new deputy inspectors-general of hospitals, and placed in charge of the northern district (headquarters York). His talents attracted the notice of the duke of York, who transferred him to the south-western district (headquarters Winchester), subsequently placing the Portsmouth district and Isle of Wight and a part of the Sussex district under him as well.
McGrigor's reputation now stood very high. His old chief, Beresford, applied for his services as principal medical officer (PMO) of the Portuguese army, but before he could take up his posting, he was ordered to Walcheren, where the British camp site was under water and 3000 men were ill with malaria.
After his return McGrigor was promoted inspector-general of hospitals on 25 August 1809. Not long after resuming duty, on 23 June 1810 he married Mary (1779–1872), youngest daughter of Duncan Grant of Lingeistone, Moray—sister of his old friend Lewis Grant (afterwards Sir Lewis Grant MD), of Brigadier-General Colquhoun Grant (1780–1829), and of Colonel Alexander Grant CB, Madras army—with whom he had three sons and one daughter.
On 13 June 1811 McGrigor received the sinecure position of physician to the Portsmouth garrison, but soon afterwards was promoted once more, this time to become chief of the medical staff of the Peninsular army under command of Wellington. He arrived in Lisbon on 10 January 1812 and was present with the army throughout the rest of the campaign, serving from Ciudad Rodrigo to Toulouse, including the siege of Badajoz, the terrible Burgos retreat, and the major battles of Vitoria, the Pyrenees, and Toulouse.
His allocation of food for the wounded was the reason for the famous exchange with Wellington, at Madrid, when the Iron Duke asked McGrigor in anger: ‘Who commands the Army, Sir, I or you?’. McGrigor stood his ground. Wellington went on: ‘As long as you live, Sir, never do anything without my orders’ (McGrigor, 302). But he invited his medical director to dine with him the same evening. McGrigor's administrative ability, and the courage and self-reliance which enabled him to accept grave responsibility at critical moments, speedily won the confidence of Wellington, who later declared that McGrigor was ‘one of the most industrious, able, and successful public servants I have ever met with’ (Dispatches of the Duke of Wellington, 7.643). On McGrigor's representations, the services of medical officers were recognized by their being mentioned in dispatches, something never granted before. This happened first after the battle of Badajoz. It is worth recording, however, that it was not until thirty-seven years later, that he, as director-general, eventually persuaded the high command to award decorations for doctors.
After the peace of 1814 McGrigor returned home, was knighted, and retired on an allowance of £3 a day. The medical officers who had served under him presented him with a service of plate valued at a 1000 guineas. He applied himself anew to his favourite subjects, anatomy and chemistry; but on 13 June 1815 he was appointed director-general of the army medical department, and held the post until 1851. The salary was £2000 a year, with the equivalent rank of major-general. McGrigor founded the Museum of Natural History and Pathological Anatomy at Fort Pitt, Chatham; its library was later moved to Netley near Southampton.
After thirty-eight years in post, McGrigor retired on pension at the beginning of 1851. He died at his residence at 3 Harley Street, London, on 2 April 1858, aged nearly eighty-seven. He was survived by his wife and his son Charles Rhoderick succeeded him as second baronet.
[Adapted from the entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography by H. M. Chichester, rev. J. S. G. Blair
A window in the south wall of the nave (the third from the west end) was also dedicated to Sir James, but we have no further details as the window was blown out by bombs in 1941 and the 1873 Guide to the Church does not record an inscription.
See also
Wikipedia
