Family history enquiries at the RCS England Archives

The Archives Team welcomes enquiries from people exploring their family history. Many of the requests we receive come from descendants trying to understand an ancestor’s past or seeking to confirm a long‑held story about a surgeon in the family, or from researchers tracing a medical career or biography.

When we respond to family history enquiries, we aim to help you discover whether your ancestor was a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, or its earlier predecessors, the Company of Surgeons and the Royal College of Surgeons in London, during the period from around 1745 to 1875.

To help with that we look for a few key pieces of information:

• Whether the person in question was a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, or its earlier forms, and held the MRCS title.
• The date they passed the MRCS examination.
• The type of qualification they received: for example, the diploma, or a naval or army surgical qualification.
• Occasionally, we can also trace locations, or apprenticeship details.

Our records for members mainly take the form of entries in the examination books, which record the date on which each individual received their diploma and the title of MRCS. Perhaps surprisingly, we hold little biographical information on individual members. This may be due to the very high volume of candidates sitting the exam since 1745 onwards.

The Membership Exam (MRCS) was usually taken at the beginning of a surgical career. During the nineteenth to mid-twentieth century, it was common for medical practitioners to gain the MRCS qualification along with other qualifications, such as the Licentiate of the Society of Apothecaries (LSA) and the Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians (LRCP). Not everyone who gained the MRCS title went on to practise surgery; many entered other branches of medicine.

How we approach each enquiry

When we receive a request, we try to confirm:

• the identity of the individual. We check whether the name matches the right period, whether there are multiple individuals with the same name, or whether the location aligns with known family history.
• the exam taken and career pathway. Whether they served in the Navy or Army, or if they appear in Medical Directories or Registers (after 1845), whether they were listed as working or residing abroad (such as in India with the East India Company medical service, or in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, or the Caribbean).

It’s also worth noting that many people who called themselves surgeons (particularly outside of London) during the 18th and 19th centuries were not always associated with the College or its predecessors, or weren’t actually qualified. At the time, the term surgeon could mean anything from a formally examined practitioner to a barber‑surgeon, bonesetter, apothecary, or even an unqualified local healer. Many individuals used the title socially or commercially without formal membership, while others were trained through apprenticeships only, never sitting the MRCS exam. This began to change gradually over the 19th century as more standardised requirements for formal surgical education were introduced. The Medical Act of 1858 established the General Medical Council and created a national register, marking a shift toward the further professionalisation of surgery.

When we can’t find an individual in our collection, it may be because they trained or qualified elsewhere and may have been members at other surgical colleges and companies. Many surgeons who were based in Scotland were members of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. Similarly, surgeons based in Ireland were likely to have been members of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in Dublin. In cases like this, we suggest that the enquirer contacts the respective libraries and archives of the Scottish and Irish colleges.

Above: Index to the Examination books 1800-1830, Ref: RCS-EXA/2/2/2/1.

Above: Examination Book Volumes 1 and 2 (Bound Together), 1800-1820, Ref: RCS-EXA/2/2/1/1.

Historical context of our records

Specific groups of records in the archives are particularly helpful for family history enquiries. These provide the historical context behind the examination books and other records we hold, and trace the development of the College from 1745 onwards alongside key changes in the training and licensing of surgeons.

Company of Surgeons 1745-1800

Surgeons who trained in London and in the vicinity during the mid to late 18th century can often be traced in the records we keep from the Company of Surgeons (1745-1800), the predecessor of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

In July 1745, the surgeons separated from the barbers within the Company of Barber-Surgeons to form the Company of Surgeons of London. The new Company built Surgeons’ Hall next to Newgate Prison on the site of today’s Central Criminal Court in the Old Bailey. The Court of Assistants was formed as the Company’s governing body. They established a period of a seven-year apprenticeship for prospective surgeons, at the end of which they took an oral exam in front of a Court of Examiners at Surgeons’ Hall. Candidates who passed the exam were admitted as Members of the Company. The Court of Examiners also examined and approved surgeons and assistants in the Navy and Army.

Records from this period include:

• Examination results books (1745-1800).
• Lists of Members (1745-1800).

Royal College of Surgeons in London (1800–1843)

When the Royal College of Surgeons in London was established in 1800 by Royal Charter, members of the former Company of Surgeons were invited to join the new body. The MRCS title first appears at this time.

Early 19th‑century candidates were still expected to complete a seven‑year apprenticeship and sit an oral exam. By 1813, one year of hospital practice was also required. Apprenticeships gradually fell out of use as medical education shifted to hospitals and anatomy schools.

By the mid‑1800s, oral examinations were conducted by smaller panels and written exams were gradually introduced, initially for borderline candidates at risk of being referred. Candidates either passed and received the diploma, or were referred, requiring them to retake the exam. The structure of the MRCS exam continued to evolve through the years reflecting broader changes in the surgical profession

Records from this period include:

• Examination Results Books (Vols. 1-4, 1800-1850).
• Lists of members (1800 – 1853).
• Student/Apprentice Registers (1800-1858).

Royal College of Surgeons of England (from 1843)

In 1843, a new Royal Charter changed the name to Royal College of Surgeons of England and expanded the remit outside the city of London. The Charter also created a higher qualification, the Fellowship of the College (FRCS).

As new developments in areas such as anaesthesia and antisepsis expanded surgical possibilities, the College exams became more rigorous. Specialist subjects were introduced, and from the 1880s the exams were held jointly with the Royal College of Physicians, resulting in the conjoint qualification MRCS LRCP.

Records from this period include:

• Examination Results Books (Vols. 5-7, 1850-1877).
• Midwifery Examination Books (1852-1875).
• Student Registers (1870-1871).
• Membership Lists (1828-1877).

Above: Charter of the 7th year of the reign of Victoria, 14th September 1843, Ref: RCS-GOV/2/8/3.

Understanding genealogical research

We’re always happy to help people trace the life stories of their ancestors, and our searches work best when we are provided with sufficient detail. Accurate dates, specific locations, and any relevant family context makes a difference, helping us find answers more quickly and effectively. By contrast, enquiries can be much harder to resolve when dates are very broad, no location is known, or there is no confirmation of whether the person in question was ever a surgeon at all. The more specific the information, the more likely we are to identify the correct individual. We welcome all enquiries, however, and we will always do our best to help with whatever details you’re able to provide.

How to prepare a strong enquiry

• Share as much information as you can.
• Provide full name and any known variants.
• Include approximate dates of birth, death, or training.
• Share locations associated with the individual (provenance, or residence), or time spent abroad.
• Mention any known military service.

What records we can, and cannot, help with

Our records were created by the College for the purpose of documenting the examination and admission of members. To help set expectations, it is useful to know what we are unable to confirm:

• Whether someone practised surgery: we can only confirm whether someone was a member of the College and not whether they practised as a surgeon.
• Non‑medical biographical details: we cannot provide or confirm information on marriages, deaths, residences, relocations, or military service outside medical corps.
• Demographic or statistical datasets: while we can search for information about individuals, we do not hold demographic or statistical datasets. This means we are unable to determine, for example, whether someone was the first surgeon from a particular region, or how many women sat a specific examination in a given year. Such information may exist, but answering these types of questions would require extensive research beyond the time we can allocate to each enquiry. As a result, our ability to investigate highly specific or complex questions about individuals or the broader social context is limited by both our resources and the scope of our service which is currently free for the public. We are happy, however, to support people who want to carry out this kind of research themselves through viewings.
• Patient records: whilst we hold some patient records, they are not currently catalogued in enough detail to be able to search by name. We hope over time to improve the cataloguing and therefore their accessibility.

Discovering that an ancestor was a member of the College and uncovering in this way traces of their life story can be really meaningful, offering a tangible connection to the past. Our aim is always to help the public understand an ancestor’s professional trajectory as fully as the surviving evidence allows. However, genealogical research is often complicated, as historical records can be incomplete or inconsistent. This is why a collaborative approach between researchers, archives, and family members is important so as to combine different sources in piecing together an account of an individual’s life.

Other archives useful for genealogical research

• National Archives Family History.
• Local archives, e.g. London Archives.
• University archives, e.g. University of London Archives.
• British Library.
• Royal College of Physicians (LRCP records).
• Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
• Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.
• Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

The National Archives Discovery and Archives Hub databases can be particularly helpful, as they provide access to catalogues from archives across the UK, allowing you to search across multiple organisations at once. Not all archives are included, but many are.

Further family history research support can be sought from the Society of Genealogists, who provide access to multiple research tools, learning resources, and family history subscription sites, as well as their own library and archives.

How to contact us

If you would like to submit a family history enquiry, please contact the RCS England Archives Team. Providing as much detail as possible will help us conduct a thorough and efficient search. We aim to respond within our standard service timeframe of five working days. Our service is free, and while we aim to be as helpful as possible, we must balance enquiries with the wider demands on the Archive.

More recent information (post-1875) enquiries should be directed to the RCS England Library.

For more information about Family history enquiries, please visit our LibGuides page.