Alexander Brunton FRSE FSA (2 October 1772 - 9 February 1854) was a Scottish minister in the Church of Scotland who rose to its highest rank, Moderator of the General Assembly in 1823. He was a noted academic, as Professor of Hebrew and Oriental Languages at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

Life

He was born on 2 October 1772 in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

the son of John Brunton a stay-maker living at the Bow Head. He was educated at the

High School A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

, Edinburgh. He had no formal university training but was licensed by the Presbytery of

Linlithgow Linlithgow (; gd, Gleann Iucha, sco, Lithgae) is a town in West Lothian, Scotland. It was historically West Lothian's county town, reflected in the county's historical name of Linlithgowshire. An ancient town, it lies in the Central Belt on a ...

to preach for the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Reformation of 1560, when it split from the Catholic Church ...

in 1796.''Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae''; by Hew Scott In 1797 he became minister of Bolton, East Lothian east of Edinburgh. In 1803 he was translated to New Greyfriars back in

. In 1809 he moved to the

Tron Kirk The Tron Kirk is a former principal parish church in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is a well-known landmark on the Royal Mile. It was built in the 17th century and closed as a church in 1952. Having stood empty for over fifty years, it was used ...

on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh in replacement of Rev Andrew Hunter of Barjarg. In 1813 he was made Professor of Hebrew and Oriental Languages at the

serving in this role until 1847. The University appointed him University Librarian in 1822 and he served in this role until death. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity (DD) by the University in December 1814. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1814. His proposers were George Dunbar,

Macvey Napier Macvey Napier (born Napier Macvey) (11 April 1776 – 11 February 1847) was a Scottish solicitor, legal scholar, and an editor of the ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. He was Professor of Conveyancing at the University of Edinburgh. Life Macv ...

, Rev David Ritchie and Alexander Christison. In 1814 he is noted as sitting on the Committee of the Caledonian Horticultural Society, alongside

Francis Jeffrey, Lord Jeffrey Francis Jeffrey, Lord Jeffrey (23 October 1773 – 26 January 1850) was a Scottish judge and literary critic. Life He was born at 7 Charles Street near Potterow in south Edinburgh, the son of George Jeffrey, a clerk in the Court of Sessi ...

and

Henry Cockburn, Lord Cockburn Henry Thomas Cockburn of Bonaly, Lord Cockburn ( ; Cockpen, Midlothian, 26 October 1779 – Bonaly, Midlothian, 26 April/18 July 1854) was a Scottish lawyer, judge and literary figure. He served as Solicitor General for Scotland between 1830 a ...

. He was elected a member of the

American Antiquarian Society The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society i ...

in 1821. He was elected

Moderator of the General Assembly The moderator of the General Assembly is the chairperson of a General Assembly, the highest court of a Presbyterian or Reformed church. Kirk sessions and presbyteries may also style the chairperson as moderator. The Oxford Dictionary states t ...

in 1823. He was convenor of the Indian Mission Committee from that year. He retired in 1847 due to ill health. In his final years in Edinburgh (his wife being dead) he had lived in rooms at Old College. He died in

Coupar Angus Coupar Angus (; Gaelic: ''Cùbar Aonghais'') is a town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, south of Blairgowrie. The name Coupar Angus serves to differentiate the town from Cupar, Fife. The town was traditionally on the border between Angus and P ...

on 9 February 1854. He is buried with

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

in the

Canongate Kirkyard The Canongate Kirkyard ( en, Churchyard) stands around Canongate Kirk on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland. The churchyard was used for burials from the late 1680s until the mid-20th century. The most celebrated burials at the kirkyard are ...

in edinburgh. The grave lies midway along the western boundary wall. His position at the Tron was filled by Rev Maxwell Nicholson.

Family

In December 1798 he was married to the eminent author Mary Balfour. In 1818 his wife Mary died during childbirth. The child was still-born. At this time they lived at 35 Albany Street in

Edinburgh's New Town The New Town is a central area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It was built in stages between 1767 and around 1850, and retains much of its original neo-classical and Georgian period architecture. Its best known street is Princes Stree ...

Artistic recognition

Brunton was sketched shaking hands with the Rev John Hunter by John Kay. His portrait by

John Watson Gordon Sir John Watson Gordon (1788 – 1 June 1864) was a Scottish portrait painter and president of the Royal Scottish Academy. Life and work Gordon was born John Watson in Edinburgh, the eldest son of Captain Watson, R.A., a cadet of the family ...

is held in the

Scottish National Portrait Gallery The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is an art museum on Queen Street, Edinburgh. The gallery holds the national collections of portraits, all of which are of, but not necessarily by, Scots. It also holds the Scottish National Photography Co ...

In fiction

Alexander Brunton features as a character in Sara Sheridan's novel, ''The Fair Botanists'.Sheridan, Sara (2021), ''The Fair Botanists'', Hodder & Stoughton,

Publications

*Extracts from the Books of the Old Testament (1814 plus later editions) *Sermons and Lectures (1818) *Memoir of Mrs Brunton (1819) *Outlines of Persian Grammar (1822) *Sermon Preached on the Death of Dr Inglis (1834) *Outlines of a Speech for the Commission of an Assembly (1843) *Forms for Public Worship in the Church of Scotland (1848)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brunton, Alexander 1772 births 1854 deaths Clergy from Edinburgh Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 18th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland Scottish Calvinist and Reformed theologians Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland Burials at the Canongate Kirkyard 19th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland Members of the American Antiquarian Society