Welcome to Plarr’s Lives of the Fellows Online

Plarr’s Lives of the Fellows, the Royal College of Surgeons of England’s collection of biographies of deceased fellows, is a unique record of the evolution of surgery from the foundation of the fellowship in 1843 to the present day.

We aim to include obituaries for all those who have held the fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, as well as the fellowship of the Faculty of Dental Surgeons of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Started by the College librarian, Victor Plarr, in 1930, the Lives tells the history of surgery one fascinating life at a time — showing the gradual (and growing) diversification of surgery, the development of the NHS, and the longstanding contribution made by overseas surgeons.

In 2021, we added the 10,000^th fellow to the collection — Irene Irving, a paediatric surgeon from Liverpool. She joins other inspiring surgeons, including Lord Joseph Lister, the pioneer of antiseptic surgery, Eleanor Davies-Colley, the first female fellow, Sir Erasmus Wilson, surgeon, dermatologist and benefactor of the College, Dame Alice Barnes, the first female president of the British Medical Association, George Guthrie, the nineteenth century military surgeon and president of the College, and Phyllis George, the first woman to be elected as vice-president of the College.

How you can help

We rely on families of the deceased, friends, colleagues and other fellows to help create the biographies.

• If you would like to report the death of a fellow so that your colleague, friend or family member can be honoured, please email the membership department at membership@rcseng.ac.uk.
• Would you like to write a biography of a fellow? Please email lives@rcseng.ac.uk.
• If you would like to send a photograph or photographs to add to a fellow’s biography (see our Images and takedown policy), please email lives@rcseng.ac.uk.
• Have you found a factual error in a biography? Please look at our Amendments policy for information and advice, and email lives@rcseng.ac.uk.
• If you are a fellow and would like to update us with details of your career, please send a CV or fill in a Lives of the Fellows biographical form (DOCX format, PDF format). This will be used to compile your biography after your death. Please email the form or CV to lives@rcseng.ac.uk or post it to:
  
  
  Lives of the Fellows,
  Library,
  Royal College of Surgeons of England,

  38-43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields,
  London WC2A 3PE

You can also continue to support our work by leaving the College a legacy in your will. As a charity, we rely on donations and gifts from those who share our vision of excellent surgical care for everyone. Past legacies have enabled us to support vital projects in surgical education and research. Find out how you can continue to contribute to the future of surgery.

Disclaimer

Please note that the biographies reflect the attitudes of the times they were written and should be read in their context as historical documents.