![The grave of David Low, Warriston Cemetery](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/The_grave_of_David_Low%2C_Warriston_Cemetery.jpg)
David Low
FRSE
Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...
(23 November 1786 – 26 January 1859) was a
Scottish agriculturalist.
Life
Low, eldest son of Alexander Low,
land-agent, of Laws,
Berwickshire
Berwickshire ( gd, Siorrachd Bhearaig) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in south-eastern Scotland, on the English border. Berwickshire County Council existed from 1890 until 1975, when the area became part of th ...
, was born in Berwickshire in 1786, and educated at
Perth Academy
Perth Academy is a state comprehensive secondary school in Perth, Scotland. It was founded in 1696. The institution is a non-denominational one. The school occupies ground on the side of a hill in the Viewlands area of Perth, and is within the P ...
and 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 ...
.
He assisted his father on his farms, and soon showed aptitude as a land-agent and valuer.
In 1817 he published ''Observations on the Present State of Landed Property, and on the Prospects of the Landholder and the Farmer'', in which was discussed the agricultural embarrassment caused by the sudden fall of prices on the cessation of the
war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
. In 1825 he settled in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, and in the following year at his suggestion the ''
Quarterly Journal of Agriculture'' was established, which he edited from 1828 to 1832.
On the death of Professor
Andrew Coventry
Andrew Coventry FRSE (1762–1830) was a Scottish agriculturist. He was the first Professor of Agriculture in Great Britain.
Life
Andrew Coventry, born in February 1762, was eldest son of Rev George Coventry, minister of Stitchell in Roxburghs ...
in 1831 Low was appointed professor of agriculture in 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 ...
(1831–54). His first step was to urge on the government the necessity of forming an agricultural museum. The
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The chancellor of the Exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and head of His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, the Chancellor is ...
consented in 1833 to allow £300 a year for that purpose. Low contributed collections of his own, and employed
William Shiels
William Shiels (3 December 1848 – 17 December 1904) was an Australian colonial-era politician, serving as the 16th Premier of Victoria.
Biography
Shiels was born in Maghera, County Londonderry, a town in the centre of Ulster in the north of ...
,
R.S.A., to travel, taking portraits of the best specimens of different breeds of animals. Altogether £3,000 was expended on the museum, of which £1,500 came from the government, £300 from the Reid fund, and the rest from the professor's private resources. The museum led to increased attendance in the class of agriculture, which numbered from 70 to 90 students.
In the 1830s he is recorded as having two addresses, both prestigious. His town address is given as 33 Howe Street in the
New Town
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
, and his country address is given as Craigleith House, then on the western outskirts of the city.
Low was also interested in
chemistry
Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
, and had a private laboratory. In 1842 he authored ''The Breeds of the Domestic Animals of the British Islands'', with coloured plates, which was translated into French for the
French government.
Low resigned his chair in 1854, and was replaced by
Prof John Wilson.
He died at his home, Mayfield House
[Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1853-54] in
Trinity, Edinburgh
Trinity is a district of northern Edinburgh, Scotland, once a part of the burgh of Leith (itself a part of the city since 1920). It is one of the outer villa suburbs of Edinburgh mainly created in the 19th century. It is bordered by Wardie to ...
, on 7 January 1859, and was interred nearby at
Warriston Cemetery
Warriston Cemetery is a cemetery in Edinburgh. It lies in Warriston, one of the northern suburbs of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was built by the then newly-formed Edinburgh Cemetery Company, and occupies around of land on a slightly sloping si ...
. The large grave site lies on the southern edge of the original cemetery, backing onto the former railway, now a cycle path. The grave was re-exposed by the Friends of Warriston Cemetery in 2017.
Works
Besides the works already mentioned, Low was the author of:
* ''Elements of Practical Agriculture'', 1834 (4th edn. 1843; translated into
French and
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
)
* ''The Breeds of the Domestic Animals of the British Islands'', London, 1842
* ''On Landed Property and the Economy of Estates'', 1844
* ''An Inquiry into the Nature of the Simple Bodies of Chemistry'', 1844 (3rd edn. 1856)
* ''Appeal to the Common Sense of the Country regarding the Condition of the Industrious Classes'', 1850
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Low, David
Scottish agriculturalists
Scottish farmers
People from Berwickshire
Academics of the University of Edinburgh
Scottish non-fiction writers
1786 births
1859 deaths
Scottish agronomists
Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Burials at Warriston Cemetery
Scottish editors
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Scottish surveyors
Scottish chemists
People educated at Perth Academy