Crozier, Alexander William (1816 - 1863)
by
 
Royal College of Surgeons of England

Asset Name
E001350 - Crozier, Alexander William (1816 - 1863)

Title
Crozier, Alexander William (1816 - 1863)

Author
Royal College of Surgeons of England

Identifier
RCS: E001350

Publisher
London : Royal College of Surgeons of England

Publication Date
2011-09-07
 
2014-06-18

Subject
Medical Obituaries

Description
Obituary for Crozier, Alexander William (1816 - 1863), Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Language
English

Source
Plarr's Lives of the Fellows

Full Name
Crozier, Alexander William

Date of Birth
3 November 1816

Place of Birth
Cape Town

Date of Death
7 March 1863

Place of Death
Dehra Dun, India

Occupation
Military surgeon

Titles/Qualifications
MRCS May 24th 1889
 
FRCS December 1st 1854

Details
Was a surgeon in the Bengal Army (52nd Regiment) at the time he became a Fellow. He is confused in the *Calendar* with the better-known William Crozier. He died apparently some time between 1862 and 1865. **See below for an expanded version of the original obituary which was printed in volume 1 of Plarr's Lives of the Fellows. Please contact the library if you would like more information lives@rcseng.ac.uk** Alexander William Crozier was a surgeon in the Indian Army. He was born on 3 November 1816 in Cape Town, where his father, Robert Crozier, was Postmaster General of the Cape Colony. He studied medicine at Guy's Hospital and gained his MRCS in 1839. In December of the same year he joined the East India Company as an assistant surgeon. From 1841 to 1843 he served with HM 26th Regiment in China and was present at the taking of Amoy, the recapture of Chusan and the occupation of Ningfo, for which he received a medal. Returning to India, he served in the Gwailor Campaign and was present at the battle of Punniar, for which he received the Bronze Star. In January 1846 during the First Sikh War he served with the 16th Lancers, who led the cavalry charge against the well trained Sikhs at the battle of Aliwal. The Lancers lost nearly half their men but managed to break through. Sir Harry Smith, the officer in charge, especially thanked Crozier for his services that day and he received another medal. He was elected as a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons on 1 December 1854. During the Indian Mutiny he officiated as superintending surgeon in the action on 1 July 1857 near Agra. He had a horse shot under him and was again mentioned in despatches. He was in medical charge of the 3rd European Regiment in action at Agra and Oreyah, serving the whole hot weather campaign of 1858. His regiment had joined the Mynpoorie Movable Column under the command of Colonel WM Riddel, who wrote in his dispatch, quoted in *The Edinburgh Gazette* on 24 September 1858: 'The services of Surgeon A W Crozier have been most valuable and owing to his unremitting attention to the sick no less than his judicious sanitary precautions, I attribute in great measure the almost perfect immunity from sickness we have been mercifully permitted to enjoy.' He received another medal and was promoted to surgeon major on 19 December 1859. Altogether he was thanked 12 times for efficient and valuable services. He died on 7 March 1863 at Dehra Dun aged only 46, survived by his only surviving child, Robert George, and his wife Caroline née Cracklow. Deborah van Dalsen

Sources
*Roll of the Indian Medical Service* 1615-1930 D G Crawford
 
*War services of officers of the Bengal Army* 1863 transcribed by Peter Bailey, Families in British India Society database
 
*The Edinburgh Gazette* 24 September 1858 pp1738-9

Rights
Copyright (c) The Royal College of Surgeons of England

Collection
Plarr's Lives of the Fellows

Format
Obituary

Format
Asset

Asset Path
Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001300-E001399

URL for File
373533

Media Type
Unknown