A city's top honour for the man who brought rhubarb to Scotland
More than 260 years ago, he brought rhubarb to Scotland at a time when the seeds were more valuable than gold.
Dr James Mounsey, a physician, is said to have smuggled out several pounds of seeds out of Russia to his home of Edinburgh, where he was soon honoured with the Freedom of the City.
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Hide AdDr Mounsey’s story is recounted in a new book, Honoured by Edinburgh by Barclay Price, which charts the great and the good who were selected by city leaders for the accolade.
Mr Price said that it was “likely that rhubarb played a part” in the honour conferred on Dr Mounsey, who served as physician to the Empress of Russia and returned to live in Scotland after her death in 1762. He was honoured by Edinburgh the following year but his illicit cargo came with a price of paranoia and fear and the physician took to sleeping with a loaded firearm by his bed.
Mr Price said: “Although the dried root of rhubarb was hugely expensive – at one time the seeds were more valuable, weight for weight, than gold – it was much sought after as a medicine.
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Hide Ad“Russia had a monopoly on its growing and to ensure the value of the root remained high forbade anyone to take or send rhubarb seeds abroad. However, when Mounsey left Russia he smuggled out several pounds of rhubarb seeds.”
Native to southern Siberia, Rhubarb was one of the most sought after medicines of the 18th Century and was used to treat a number of conditions, including stomach aches, fevers and dysentry. Doctors particularly favoured it as a medicine for children.
On his return to Scotland, Dr Mounsey gave some seeds to Alexander Dick, then President of the Royal College of Physicians, and to Dr John Hope who was establishing the first Royal Botanic Garden at Leith Walk.
Both were able to cultivate rhubarb and Hope later began selling rhubarb root, thus breaking the Russian monopoly.
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Hide AdDr Mounsey earlier worked with the Russian ambassador in London and then took up a job at the St Petersburg Admiralty Hospital. In March 1738, following an outbreak of the plague, he was posted to work with Russian forces in Ukraine.
After bringing home the rhubarb seeds, Dr Mounsey adopted a position of panic. Mr Price said: “Mounsey lived in fear that the Russian Court might recruit agents in Scotland to kill him, so slept with a loaded firearm by his bed and had two doors built in each roomof his house, one of which might furnish a ready escape route.”
Edinburgh has bestowed the Freedom of the City on worthy individuals by admitting them as an honorary Burgess and or a Guild Brother of the City, Mr Price said.
The honour derives from the ancient Roman privilege of permitting victorious generals to march their soldiers into the city. Mr Price added: “Being admitted as a Burgess conferred privileges; the most significant being the right to trade in the burgh, as commerce was forbidden by law to anyone other than a Burgess.
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Hide Ad“In exchange for their privileges, Burgesses were subject to various duties and obligations. These changed over time and included requiring applicants to settle and remain within the burgh and to swear fealty to the King and the Bailies, which were members of the burgh/town Council.
Nelson Mandela, the Duke of Cumberland and Sir Chris Hoy are among those who have received the honour over time.
Honoured in Edinburgh by Barclay Price is available now and published by Amberley
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