Born: Died: 1781
Age:
Occupation: Physician, Professor
Residence: Manhattan, New York
Peter Middleton was a Scottish-born physician who became one of colonial New York’s leading medical figures and a prominent Loyalist during the American Revolution. Educated in medicine at the University of Edinburgh, he emigrated to New York around mid-century and quickly gained renown as a physician and educator. In 1767, he helped establish the city’s first medical school—later incorporated into King’s College (now Columbia University)—where he served as professor of pathology, physiology, chemistry, and materia medica. He was also a founder of New York Hospital in 1774 and long active in the St. Andrew’s Society of the State of New York, serving as its president from 1767 to 1770.
A firm supporter of royal authority, Middleton counted among his patients many of New York’s most prominent Loyalists, including Governor William Tryon. His loyalty brought suspicion from revolutionary authorities, who accused him of using his visits to Tryon’s ship, the Duchess of Gordon, for political intrigue. In April 1776, Middleton fled to Bermuda with other Loyalists, leaving behind his home, library, and medical instruments. He returned to New York after the British occupation and resumed practice until his death in January 1781. Remembered for his skill, generosity, and devotion to the Crown, Middleton’s life reflects the intellectual ambition and political peril faced by Loyalist professionals in Revolutionary New York.
Sources
History of the St. Andrew’s Society of the State of New York
New-York Gazette: and the Weekly Mercury, 15 Jan. 1781
Documents signed by this Loyalist:
D-STAC-001 – Declaration of Dependence