Andrew Mercer (1775–1842) was a Scottish poet and topographer.

Life

Mercer was born in Selkirk. Destined for the ministry of the

Secession Church The First Secession was an exodus of ministers and members from the Church of Scotland in 1733. Those who took part formed the Associate Presbytery and later the United Secession Church. They were often referred to as seceders. The underlying ...

by his family, in 1790 he entered the University of Edinburgh. Ultimately he gave up theology, studied the fine arts, and tried unsuccessfully to make a living in Edinburgh as a miniature-painter and man of letters. He was acquainted with John Leyden and Alexander Murray. Settling in

Dunfermline Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Accord ...

, Mercer lived by teaching and by drawing patterns for the damask manufacturers. In later life he suffered money troubles. He died at Dunfermline, 11 June 1842.

Works

Mercer's major work was a ''History of Dunfermline from the earliest Records'' (Dunfermline, 1828). There was also published under his name a ''Historical and Chronological Table of the Ancient Town of Dunfermline from 1064 to 1834'': an abridgment of a manuscript by

Ebenezer Henderson Ebenezer Henderson (17 November 178417 May 1858) was a Scotland, Scottish minister and missionary. He spent the early part of his life in Scandinavia, was an accomplished linguist and translator. Life Born at the Linn near Dunfermline, Henders ...

, ''Annals of Dunfermline from the earliest Records to 1833''. He was the author of a poem on ''Dunfermline Abbey'' (Dunfermline, 1819), and a volume of verse, ''Summer Months among the Mountains'' (Edinburgh, 1838). Mercer wrote both in prose and verse for ''

Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine ''Blackwood's Magazine'' was a British magazine and miscellany printed between 1817 and 1980. It was founded by the publisher William Blackwood and was originally called the ''Edinburgh Monthly Magazine''. The first number appeared in April 1817 ...

'' and '' The Scots Magazine''. He edited the ''North British Magazine'' during its existence of two years (or 13 months) from January 1804.

Notes

Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Mercer, Andrew 1775 births 1842 deaths Scottish poets People from Selkirk, Scottish Borders 19th-century Scottish painters Scottish male painters 19th-century Scottish writers 19th-century Scottish male artists