David Watt Torrance

1862 - 1923

Renowned Scottish medical missionary of the late 19th and earthy 20th century. Often called during his lifetime “Torrance of Tiberias”

David Watt Torrance was born 6 November, 1862 on Graham Street in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was the son of Dr. Thomas Torrance and Susan Watt. His grandfather was Rev. Robert Torrance who founded the Auld Licht congregation in Airdrie. His maternal grandfather was David Watt an Edinburgh engraver of some note who collaborated with his friend Sir Walter Scott on many books.

Airdrie was a mining town of some repute and David grew up just like any child of the time. He attended Sunday school taught by his great-uncle Robert Watt. He played football and sang in the choir. He loved to listen to stories read by his mother particularly books of adventure, travel and history.

Sadly, his father died when he was sixteen years of age, and his mother moved the family to Glasgow.

Soon after his father's death, David was accepted into the University of Glasgow for medical studies. While he was studying, he worked in the public dispensary. At this time, he also experienced a spiritual birth and became active within the Church of Scotland. When he received his medical degree, he was approached by the Church to become a medical missionary in Constantinople, a post that he declined. Shortly after, he was once again asked by the Church to accept a mission, this time in Palestine in what was called "The Holy land". Rather than accept immediately he first undertook a rigorous tour of Galilee in 1884. Inspired by the terrible conditions he encountered and by his faith in God, Torrance accepted the mission and in 1885 he established himself in Tiberias.

Tiberias at that time would be described by various visitors with contempt and loathing. It was hot (at times the temperature reaches 120 degrees Fahrenheit), dirty, disease ridden and poor. On the shores of the Sea of Galilee, the town lies 680 feet below sea level. It's 6,000 residents were almost exclusively Jews and Muslims.

Although charged with the missionary goal of converting the Muslims and the Jews, Dr. Torrance soon realized that his real responsibility was with caring for the sick and injured. At first he was scorned and spat upon by the local population but his skill as a surgeon and his compassion overcame their hatred and soon the local population would come to call him a "Hassid" or saintly one. In 1895 he built the first modern hospital in the region on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. This was soon followed a modern maternity hospital also a first for the region.

A colorized photo of the entire mission from the Sea of Galilee taken about 1910

During the First World War, Torrance returned to Glasgow where he served with the rank of Major in the Royal Army Medical Service as Medical Director for the Oak Bank Military Hospital. After the War he returned to Palestine where he continued his mission work until his death in 1923. The mission was then managed by his son Herbert Torrance M.D.

David Watt Torrance was awarded the Order of the British Empire by King George V.

The government of Israel honored his with a square named in his honor in the modern city of Tiberias.

The mission and hospital that he built are still in Tiberias today and are now a part of the Scots Hotel operated by the Church of Scotland.

Source
A Galilee Doctor by W.P. Livingstone
Hodder and Stoughton, London England
Published in 1925

Biography and tribute
University of Glasgow