Sir Patrick Dun (1642-1713) – Family and early life

This year marks the 300^th anniversary of the death of Sir Patrick Dun. Dun was a physician, one of the most influential of the Presidents of the Irish College of Physicians and a great benefactor to medicine and medical education in Ireland. For the Heritage Centre one of Dun's most important legacies was his library, which he left to the College, and which was the foundation of the College's library. Throughout the year we will be holding events to commemorate the life and legacy of Sir Patrick Dun, and this will be the first in a series of blog posts on Dun.

Dun was born in Aberdeen in January 1642, the exact date is unknown but he was baptised on 13 January. Dun was the third child of Charles Dun and his wife Catherine, nee Burnett. Charles Dun was a dyer and a burgess of Aberdeen. Patrick's godfather was his great-uncle Dr Patrick Dun (1581-1652) who was head of the medical faculty at Marischal College, Aberdeen.

One of the more unusual members of the Dun family was a Christian Dun, nee Mitchell, widow of Charles Dun, and a direct ancestor of Dr Patrick Dun. She was burnt in Aberdeen on 9^th March, 1597, 'on various charges brought against her of sorcery and witchcraft – the most of which were, that by administering drinks Christian Mitchell had caused the death of her own son, "Andro Dwn" and her "awin dochter in law – vmquhill Maray Johnstoun".'[1] When brought before the magistrates of Aberdeen, Christian confessed to the accusations, the records show that she confessed to the use of witchcraft and sorcery at the instigation of the Devil, and that she was marked by the Devil as one of his own on her right hand.[2]

It seems likely that the young Patrick Dun was educated at Aberdeen Grammar School, an institution of which his godfather was a benefactor. He entered Marischal College in 1658, and studied at Valance and Dauphine in France, before graduating as MD from Trinity College, Dublin. He also received an MD in absentia from Oxford University in 1677, at the request of the university chancellor, James Butler, Duke of Ormond.[3]

Dun settled in Ireland in 1676, he established an extensive practice, was elected as one of the fourteen fellows of the new College of Physicians in Ireland and would become President of the College for the first time in 1681. A successful career seemed ahead of Dun in Dublin, but in 1688 he fled Ireland, together with many other Protestants, in the face of civil and political unrest.