Dr William Arbuckle
(1809-1876)
24 February 1863
Volume 10, page 81, sitting number 12,694.
Dr William Arbuckle died on 15 January 1876.
‘WILLIAM ARBUCKLE, ESQ, MD, INSPECTOR GENERAL OF HOSPITALS, &c.
Dr William Arbuckle, who died at his residence at Balmae, near Kirkcudbright, on Tuesday last, the 15th instant, was born in 1809 at Baldoon, in Wigtownshire. His father, whose memory is still cherished as that of a most enterprising agriculturalist, with views then far in advance of his times, had a large family, of whom the youngest is the subject of this notice. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, and, obtaining an appointment in the Honourable East India Company’s service, he went, while quite a youth, to the Bombay Presidency. The same characteristics which have made him esteemed amongst us in his latter days enabled him to command success from the very commencement of his career. His strict attention to duty was most marked. His active interest in all things tending to the advantage of those around him — his almost unbounded hospitality — his genial good nature — the love of his native country and of the friends there, shown by the welcome he gave to many a son of Galloway passing through Bombay, where the great portion of his professional life was spent — all this, combined with a cheerfulness of manner and a bodily presence which seemed, wherever he went, to carry health to others with it, made him respected and esteemed throughout his lengthened and successful career in India, from which he retired about fourteen years ago with the highest honours that could be acquired in his profession, carrying with him the best wishes of all in Bombay with whom he had come in contact, both native and European, and with many of the chief men of which he continued on terms of the strongest intimacy even to the last.
On leaving India, Dr Arbuckle was induced from family considerations to settle in the neighbourhood of Kirkcudbright, and with his customary energy at once devoted himself to the benefit of his neighbours, taking a lively interest in everything around him. Fond of Agriculture, he became tenant of the considerable farm of Compstonend, in the parish of Twynholm, and was thus enabled to speak practically on the various subjects which so deeply interested his nearest neighbours; and desirous that these interests should have every advantage, he became a large shareholder and took a most active part in the direction and management of the Countess of Galloway steam vessel, thus causing the great markets of Lancashire to be easily accessible to the farmers of Galloway. […] Excessively fond of travelling, he devoted a few weeks each year to this pursuit, and thus visited most places of interest in Great Britain and Ireland, besides the greater portion of Europe and North America. An account of some of these trips has appeared in these columns, and been of interest to our readers. […] Faithful in the work God had committed to him, never wearying of doing good, contented and trustful to the last, he died as he lived — a good man’ (Banff Journal, 22 February 1876, reprinting an obituary which had previously appeared in the Kirkcudbright Advertiser).