The origins and development of a Scottish surgical instrument maker

the family firm of Archibald Young from 1771 until 1886

Abstract

The origins and development of Archibald Young, an Edinburgh family firm of surgical instrument makers, are examined. Over five generations the firm developed from a cutler’s apprenticeship in 1771 into a prominent manufacturer of surgical instruments at the Edinburgh International Exhibition of 1886. Archival sources include parish registers, business receipts, newspapers, Annual Directories, the Register of Edinburgh Apprentices and Burgesses, Minute Books of the Incorporation of Hammermen of Edinburgh, and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Cash Books. The documentary evidence is augmented by examples of instruments held in museums and archives in Britain. The research provides a business history that will aid the dating of artefacts in museum collections and offer an insight into Young’s contribution to Edinburgh’s medical heritage.