Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 38.djvu/188

 secundus, with Memoir;' and in 1842, 'Anatomy of the Urinary Bladder and Perinseum in the Male.' None of his works are of permanent value, and those written when he was in the prime of life are as confused, prolix, and illogical as his senile productions. A basis of notes made by his more industrious father and grandfather is to be detected throughout, and to this he has added only imperfect observations and superficial reading. Thus in his account of lead colic he shows no acquaintance with the recent and admirable discoveries of Sir [q. v.] He died at Craiglockhart, near Edinburgh, 10 March 1859. He married first, in 1800, the daughter of Dr. Carmichael Smyth, by whom he had twelve children, one of whom, Sir David Monro, is separately noticed; and secondly, in 1836, the daughter of David Hunter, who survived him. A portrait by Kenneth Macleay is in the National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh.

 MONRO, DAVID (1813–1877), colonial politician, son of Dr. tertius [q. v.], was born in 1813. At a very early age he settled in New Zealand. When the first general assembly was convened, 24 May 1854, he was returned as a member of it, and was chosen to second the address to the governor. He was speaker of the House of Representatives in 1861 and 1862, and was knighted. At the general election in 1866 he was elected member for Cheviot, and was again speaker until 1870, when he retired from this post. He was then much incensed at the failure of William Fox, leader of the house, to propose any vote of thanks for his services; and in order to attack him he obtained a seat, but lost it on petition. Thereupon the House of Representatives adopted an address praying that some mark of favour might be shown him for his long services; but Fox still refused to recommend so outspoken an opponent for a seat in the Legislative Council. Monro was then elected to the house for Waikonati, and opposed Fox's government. He died at Newstead, near Nelson, in 1877. His wife was a daughter of J. Seeker of Widford, Gloucestershire.

 MONRO, DONALD (fl. 1550), known as 'High Dean of the Isles,' first appears on record as parson of Kiltearn, in the presbytery of Dingwall, Ross-shire. On 26 June 1563 he was appointed by the general assembly of the kirk commissioner 'within the bounds of Ross, to assist the Bishop of Caithness in preaching of the Gospell and planting of kirkis' (, ii. 224), at a salary of four hundred merks for one year. On 27 Dec, following a complaint was made in the assembly that he 'was not so apt to teache as his charge required' (ib. p. 245). Six members of the assembly were appointed 'to trie his gifts,' and to report. His ignorance of Gaelic seems to have been his chief fault, for on 5 July 1570 it was objected that 'he was not prompt in the Scottish tongue.' His commission was, however, renewed in August 1573 (ib. p. 275). Tradition says that when at Kiltearn he lived in Castle Craig, and crossed the Firth to his duties. About 1574 he was translated to the neighbouring parish of Lymlair, with a stipend of 66l. 13s. 4d. Scots, and kirk-land. His title, 'High Dean of the Isles,' may have had some pre-reformation significance, but was more probably one of those titles of courtesy satirised by Sir David Lyndsay in his 'Monarchic ' (bk. iii. 1290, &c.)

He made a systematic tour through the western islands of Scotland in 1549, of which he has left an interesting account. George Buchanan made use of it for the geographical portion of his ' History of Scotland,' and acknowledged his indebtedness (Works, folio edit. 1715, pp. 13, 18). Monro also wrote a small book, entitled 'The Genealogies of the Cheiff Clans of the Isles.' Both works were printed at Edinburgh, 1773-4, with the common title, 'Description of the Western Isles of Scotland, called Hybrides. With his Genealogies of the Chief Clans of the Isles. Now first published from the Manuscript.' Another edition appeared at Edinburgh in 1805, and in 1818 the account was included in the second volume of 'Miscellanea Scotica.' Two manuscript copies of his works are preserved in the Advocates' Library.

 MONRO, DONALD, M.D. (1727–1802), medical writer, born in 1727, was second surviving son of primus [q. v.], by Isabella, second daughter of Sir Donald MacDonald of the Isle of Skye. He was educated at Edinburgh under the care of his father, and graduated M.D. on 8 June 1753, the subject of his inaugural dissertation being 'De Hydrope.' Soon afterwards he was appointed physician to the army. On 12 April 1756 he was admitted a licentiate of the College of Physicians, London, and on 3 Nov. 1758 was elected physician to St. George's Hos-