The Madras College Archive

     


Biographies of Former Pupils of Madras College and the Burgh School

Click on a name to see the biography

Pupils born in the 19th Century

Robert Adamson (1821 - 1848) Chemist and pioneer photographer
Sir Robert Smith Aikman (1844 - 1917) High Court Judge, Allahabad, India
Colonel Robert Hope Moncrieff Aitken V.C. (1826 - 1887) Bengal Army
William Aitken (1863 - 1957) Telephone engineer, Inventor
Martin Anderson ( 1854 - 1932) ‘Cynicus’, satirical political cartoonist, postcard illustrator, and publisher
Peter Corsar Anderson C.B.E. (1871 - 1955) Educator, Golf Course designer
Commander George Gilmour Armit O.B.E. (1887 - 1966) Merchant Navy
Jack Armit (1883 - 1968 ) Adventurer, Raconteur
George Denholm Armour O.B.E. (1864 – 1949) Artist and Army
Sir Robert Balfour (1844 - 1929) MP, Trader
Professor John Birrell (1836 - 1901) Hebrew and Oriental Languages, St Mary's
James Bridie (1857 - 1893) International Rugby player for Wales
Professor Albert William Borthwick O.B.E. (1872 - 1937) First Professor of Forestry, Aberdeen University
Professor Sir John Rankine Brown (1861 - 1946) Classics, Wellington University, New Zealand
George Bruce (1825 – 1904) Cabinet maker and Property owner
Sir Charles Alexander Cameron (1841 - 1924) Physician, Newspaper Editor, MP
James Archibald Campbell (1843 - 1917) Businessman.
Rev Dr Alan Cant (1871 - 1964) Chaplain in India and Minister of Creich Parish Church
James Clinskill (1853 - 1936) Businessman in Canada and Mayor of Sakatoon
Clunies Ross family 'King' of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and his sons
Major Henry David Cook Craig M.C. (1888 - 1920) Army Officer
Rev James Manson Craig ( 1885 - 1912) English, Christian College Madras
Professor John Douglas Craig (1887 - 1968) Classicist
Dr Robert Meldrum Craig (1882 - 1956) Geologist
John Crerar (1836 - 1904) Barrister-at-law and County Crown Attorney, Hamilton, Canada
Learmonth White Dalrymple (1827 - 1906) Campaigner for women’s rights
David Doig (1896-1969) Army and Accountancy
Findlay Small Douglas (1874 - 1959) Golfer, US Amateur Champion
David Hay Fleming (1849 – 1931) Historian, Critic, Antiquarian and Booklover
James Berwick Forgan (1852-1924) Banker and Financier
David Robertson Forgan (1856 - 1931) Banker and Financier
Professor George Galloway (1861 - 1933) Professor of Divinity, Principal of St Mary's College St Andrews
Professor John Dow Fisher Gilchrist (1866 - 1926) Ichthyologist
Joseph James Hargrave (1829 – 1894) Fur Trader
Sandy Herd (1868 – 1944) Professional Golfer, Open Champion
Robert Inerarity Herdman (1841 – 1888) Artist
Professor Edmund Hirst (1898-1975) Organic Chemist
Beatrice Huntington (1899 - 1988) Artist, Sculptor & Musician
Professor James Mercer Irvine, K.C. (1862 - 1945) Professor of Law, Aberdeen University
William Thomas Ketchen (1858 - 1946) Lawyer, Keeper of the Register of Sasines
Dr. Elsie Laura Kyle (1891 - 1982) Scottish Ladies Golf Champion
Edward Parr Kyle (1894 - 1978) Golfer, commerce
Denis Hamilton Kyle O.B.E. (1897 - 1983) Golfer, industrialist
David Leith (1847 - 1919) Methodist Minister who emigrated to America
George Carmichael Low (1872 - 1952) Parasitologist
William James Macdonald (1851 - 1941) Mathematician, Schoolmaster
Rev. Dr. John Gordon MacPherson (1843 - 1909) Rector of Forfar Academy, Minister, Writer
Robert Marshall (1863 - 1910) Dramatist, Writer
Professor William Carmichael McIntosh (1838 - 1931) Professor of Natural History, University of St Andrews; endowed McIntosh Hall at St Andrews University
Major M F M Meiklejohn V.C. (1870 - 1913) South African War
James Meldrum (1855 - 1910) Consulting Engineer
John Alexander Stevenson Millar (1854 - 1938) Law
Major General James Peattie Morgan (1835 -1909) Army in India & China, Public affairs.
Oscar Colin Morison (1884 -1966) Aviator
Alexander Morris (1826 - 1889) Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, Canada.
‘Old’ Tom Morris (1821 – 1908) Golfer, Clubmaker, ‘Keeper of the Greens’.
Dr. David H Paton (1863 - 1929) Rector of Glasgow High School
Victor Gustave Plarr (1863 - 1929) Poet
Major General Archibald Lewis Playfair (1838 - 1910) Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, served at the siege of Lucklaw, India
Ida Louise Provis (nee Kyle) (1893 - 1986) Golfer
Professor George Matthew Robertson (1864 - 1932) Professor of psychiatry, Edinburgh University
Sir William Robertson (1856 - 1923) Businessman, Vice President of Scottish Liberal Association
Thomas Rodger Rodger (1856 - 1930) Photographer
General Sir Henry Macleod Leslie Rundle (1856 - 1934) South African War, C.I.C. Malta
Walter Rutherford (1857 - 1913) Farmer, Golfer - Olympic Silver medallist
David S Salmond (1841 - 1932) Journalist and Writer
Lord Sands (1857 -1934)
(Christopher Nicholson Johnston)
Noted Judge, Politician and Layman of the Church
John Campbell Smith (1828-1914) Writer, Advocate
Charles Stobie (1845-1931) Adventurer and Artist
Professor James Stuart (1843 - 1913) Engineer, Politician, Rector of St Andrews University
Patrick William Thomson (1860 – 1907) Draper, Founder of P.T.'s Department Store
John Usher (1840 - 1892) Farmer and Racehorse breeder
Professor James Wallace Walker (1867 - 1932) Chemistry, McGill College, Montreal
Rev. Dr. Robert Warden (1841 - 1905) Moderator of the General Assembly at Ottawa
Stephen Williamson (1827 - 1903) Co-founder of shipping company
Balfour-Williamson
John Hardie Wilson (1858 - 1920) Horticulturalist, founder of St Andrews Botanic Garden
Sir Alexander Wilson (1837 - 1907) Steel Manufacturer

 

Pupils born in the 20th Century

Maurice James Adam (1908 – 1938) Aviator, Altitude record holder
Finn Anderson ( - current) Singer-songwriter
John Maxwell Anderson C.H.M., F.R.C.S., F.R.C.S.ED.
(1928 - 1982)
Surgeon and Cancer Specialist
Leonie Bell ( - current) Director V&A Dundee
Chris Burdon ( - current) Sound engineer
Ted Brocklebank (1942 – current) Journalist, TV Producer, MSP
Professor Gavin Brown (1942 – 2010) Professor of Pure Mathematics at University of New South Wales, Australia
Sir John Carmichael KBE (1910 - 1996) Captain of R&A, Chairman of Links Trust
Lachlan Carver (1943 - current) Scottish Boys' Golf Champion
Bunny Christie OBE (1962 - current) Theatre Set and Costume Designer
Melanie Christie (1982 - current) International Rugby player for Scotland
Coo Clayton ( - current) Teacher, Author
Professor James Gourlay Clunie (1926 - 2013) Chair of Pure Mathematics at Imperial College
Alex Cole-Hamilton (1977 - current) MSP
Andrew John Hamish Cowell CMG (1965 - current) British Ambassador to Tunisia
Rob Dewey (1983 - current) International Rugby player for Scotland
Professor Sir Donald Macleod Douglas M.B.E. (1911 - 1993) Surgeon, Writer and Administrator
Dr Dame Honor Briget Fell (1900 - 1986) Zoologist, Biomedical Researcher
Olga Fitzroy (1981 - current) Sound recording and mix engineer
Eric Gray Forbes BSc, MSc, PhD, MLitt (1933 - 1984)
Professor Duncan Baillie Forrester (1933 - 2016) Scottish Theologian
Richard Gadd (1990 - current) Actor, comedian
Jenny Gilruth (1984 - current) MSP
David Gordon ( - current) Senior TV producer
Professor Neil Gow (1957 - current) Microbiologist, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Exeter University
Professor Mike Hulme (1960 - current ) Professor of Climate and Culture
Andrew Kirkaldy (1976 - current) Racing Driver, M.D. of McLaren GT
Richard Batty Kyle (1900 - 1977) Opera Singer
Chris Law (1969 - current) MP for Dundee West
Andrew Lemoncello (1982 - current) Scottish long distance runner
Brian Logan ( - current) Comedy writer and critic
Roddy Lumsden (1966 - 2020) Scottish Poet
Doon Mackichan (1962 - current) Comedy Actress
Fitz Robert Mason (1907 – 2007) Fur trapper, Mountie, Gold miner, and Big- game warden, Author
The Very Reverend Dr Andrew Rankin Cowie McLellan C.B.E. (1945 - current) Church of Scotland Minister, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland
Sir James (Hamish) Carnegie McPetrie (1911 - 1991)
(Son of Rector J D McPetrie.)
Legal secretary to the Colonial Office.
Nony Mordi (1987 - current) Scottish champion triple jumper
Anne J. M. Morris O.B.E, MStJ (1942 - current) Teacher
Jack Morrocco ( 1953 - current) Artist
Gordon Moulds C.B.E. (1957 - current) Air Commodore
Frederick Laurence Newnham (1901 - 1986) Musician
Elizabeth Smith nee Poole (1969 - current) Author and Poet
The Honourable Lady Poole KC, Anna Poole (1970 - current) Queen's Counsel (King's Counsel since 2022)
Dr Eve Poole O.B.E. (1972 - current) Writer and Church Commissioner
Dr Will Poole (1977 - current) Fellow & Tutor in English, New College Oxford
Ronald Eaglesham Porter (1956 - current) Actor
Jurek Putter (1944 – current) Artist, Designer, Historian
Jamie Ritchie (1996 - current) International Rugby player for Scotland
Professor Edmund Robertson (1943 - current) Professor of Mathematics, University of St Andrews; Co-creator of MacTutor
James Stuart ‘Hamish’ Scott (1924 - 2010) Rugby Internationalist
Thomas (Tom) McLaughlin Scott (1918 - 1995) Poet in Scots, Scottish Renaissance writer and scholar of Scottish medieval verse.
Ian William Seeley (1942 - 2013) Musician, Composer, Teacher
Shaun Simpson (1988 - current) British Motocross Champion
Alex Soutar (1946 - current) British Boys’ Golf Champion in 1963
Dr Christiana Spens ( - current) Writer, academic and artist
Alastair Stewart O.B.E. (1952 - current) ITV Newsreader
KT Tunstall (1975 - current) Guitarist, Singer-songwriter, Musician
William Wallace Watt (1922 - 1945) WW2 Pilot
Adam Werrity (1978 - current) Scottish businessman and Political advisor
James Yorkston (1971 - current) Musician and Singer-songwriter

Last updated June 2023