Homage to Lanark medical hero William Smellie

Memorial...tributes are laid at the statue which once stood outside the William Smellie Maternity, after a visit to the cemetery. (Pic Jim Clare)

At one time almost a forgotten figure in town history, in recent years Lanark has `rediscovered’ one of its most distinguished citizens of all time, Dr William Smellie, the man known as The Father of Modern Widwifery.

For the past several years, homage has been paid to him in an annual wreath-laying ceremony at his tomb in Lanark Cemetery.

This is appropriately linked with a second ritual, the laying of floral tributes at the cemetery’s Garden of Remembrance for the stillborn babies, mostly from the former Lanark maternity hospital which bore Smellie’s name.

For more on this, pick up a copy of this week’s Carluke and Lanark Gazette.