John Corse Scott facts for kids
John Corse Scott (born Corse; 12 July 1756 – 12 September 1840) was a Scottish surgeon and a scientist who studied nature. He also owned land in Lanarkshire. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a special honor for important scientists.
A Life of Discovery
John Corse was born in 1756. His parents were Richard Corse and Marion Stark. On 1 September 1779, John Corse joined the British Navy. He worked as a medical assistant, helping in the hospital for the South Fencible Regiment. He stayed in this role until April 1783.
He also served as an Ensign, a junior officer, from 1781 to 1783. In 1783, he earned his certificate to become a surgeon. He later joined the Indian Medical Service, which was a medical group that worked in India when it was part of the British Empire. He was promoted to Assistant Surgeon and then to Surgeon in 1796.
Studying Elephants
In 1799, John Corse published an important paper. It was called Observations on the different Species of Asiatic Elephants, and their Mode of Dentition. This paper shared his studies on different types of Asian elephants. It also explained how their teeth grew, which is called dentition. He retired from the Indian Medical Service in 1800.
Family Life and Later Years
On 16 January 1800, John Corse was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This showed how important his scientific work was. Later in 1800, he married Catherine Scott. After they married, he changed his name to John Corse Scott. They had a large family with six sons and three daughters.
In the 1820s, John Corse Scott was part of the board of directors for the Edinburgh Oil Gas-Light Company. This company helped provide gas lighting for the city. In the 1830s, he lived in a large house at 48 Moray Place in Edinburgh. He passed away in Ashkirk, Roxburghshire, in 1840.
