The family moved to Montpelier in the south of France in 1842 and William continued his education there. His father died there in 1843 but he remained in France to complete his education. He attended the University of Montpellier and graduated as a Bachelor of Letters in 1844. He returned to his home city of Edinburgh in June 1844 and began to study medicine at the University of Edinburgh. He gained his doctorate (MD) in 1849. He did further postgraduate studies in both Paris and Heidelberg.Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: William R Sanders
