The ''Edinburgh Encyclopædia'' is an encyclopaedia in 18 volumes, printed and published by

William Blackwood William Blackwood (20 November 177616 September 1834) was a Scottish publisher who founded the firm of William Blackwood and Sons. Life Blackwood was born in Edinburgh on 20 November 1776. At the age of 14 he was apprenticed to a firm of book ...

and edited by

David Brewster Sir David Brewster KH PRSE FRS FSA Scot FSSA MICE (11 December 178110 February 1868) was a British scientist, inventor, author, and academic administrator. In science he is principally remembered for his experimental work in physical optics ...

between 1808 and 1830. In competition with the Edinburgh-published ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...

'', the ''Edinburgh Encyclopædia'' is generally considered to be strongest on scientific topics, where many of the articles were written by the editor. The ''Edinburgh Encyclopædia'' was originally planned to encompassed 12 volumes, but by the time the final volume was published, in 1830, it counted 18 volumes. Some subjects, such as the polarization of light and

electromagnetism In physics, electromagnetism is an interaction that occurs between particles with electric charge. It is the second-strongest of the four fundamental interactions, after the strong force, and it is the dominant force in the interactions o ...

, had not even been heard of when the project began, and yet the Encyclopedia had articles on them. The electromagnetism article was even contributed by

Hans Christian Ørsted Hans Christian Ørsted ( , ; often rendered Oersted in English; 14 August 17779 March 1851) was a Danish physicist and chemist who discovered that electric currents create magnetic fields, which was the first connection found between electricit ...

, the founder of modern electromagnetic studies. It also included information on contemporary events such as

Christopher Hansteen Christopher Hansteen (26 September 1784 – 11 April 1873) was a Norwegian geophysicist, astronomer and physicist, best known for his mapping of Earth's magnetic field. Early life and career Hansteen was born in Christiania as the son of ...

's 1829 expedition to Siberia. In 1815

William Elford Leach William Elford Leach FRS (2 February 1791 – 25 August 1836) was an English zoologist and marine biologist. Life and work Elford Leach was born at Hoe Gate, Plymouth, the son of an attorney. At the age of twelve he began a medical appre ...

published the first bibliography of entomology in Brewster's ''Edinburgh Encyclopædia'' (see Timeline of entomology – 1800–1850). Joseph Parker of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

and Whiting & Watson of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

printed

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

editions, both in 1832.

Contributors

A list of major contributors, with indications of their articles, was published in 1830. Other contributors – "Gentlemen Eminent in Science and Literature" – included Adam Anderson,

Charles Babbage Charles Babbage (; 26 December 1791 – 18 October 1871) was an English polymath. A mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer, Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer. Babbage is considered ...

Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle (4 December 17955 February 1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher. A leading writer of the Victorian era, he exerted a profound influence on 19th-century art, literature and philosophy. Born in Ecclefechan, ...

, Robert Gordon, Robert Edmond Grant, John Leslie, Henry Liston,

John Gibson Lockhart John Gibson Lockhart (12 June 1794 – 25 November 1854) was a Scottish writer and editor. He is best known as the author of the seminal, and much-admired, seven-volume biography of his father-in-law Sir Walter Scott: ''Memoirs of the Life of Sir ...

and

Thomas Telford Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE, (9 August 1757 – 2 September 1834) was a Scottish civil engineer. After establishing himself as an engineer of road and canal projects in Shropshire, he designed numerous infrastructure projects in his native Scot ...

. * Thomas Allan * Adam Anderson *

Alexander Annesley Alexander Annesley (died December 1813, aged 60), was an English legal and political writer of the late eighteenth century. Biography Annesley was a London solicitor and member of the Inner Temple. After many years' practice, by which he acquired ...

''(" Notation", " Porisms")'' *

Robert Bald Robert Bald FRSE FSA MWS (1776–1861) was a Scottish surveyor, civil and mining engineer, and antiquarian. Robert Bald was one of the earliest and most eminent mining engineers and land surveyors in Scotland, and by the late nineteenth century ...

Alexander Balfour Alexander Balfour (2 September 1824 – 16 April 1886) was a Scottish merchant and founder of the Liverpool shipping company Balfour Williamson. Biography Balfour was born in Leven, Fife, the son of Henry Balfour, a foundry owner. He was ...

* John Barclay * Peter Barlow * James Bell *

Jacob Berzelius Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Jac ...

* J. B. Biot * Philip Bliss * James Bonar *

John Bostock John Joseph Bostock (born 15 January 1992) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Notts County. Bostock made his professional debut for Crystal Palace at the age of 15. In 2008, he signed for Tottenham Hotsp ...

* G. Brewster * James Brewster *

Patrick Brewster Patrick Brewster (20 December 1788 – 26 March 1859) was a Scottish minister largely based in Paisley. Life Brewster was born on 20 December 1788, the youngest of the four sons of Mr. James Brewster, and younger brother of Sir David Brewster. ...

* David Brown * Robert Brown * William Brown * H. R. Brown * David Buchanan * Robertson Buchanan * Rev. W. Burns *

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...

Thomas Campbell Thomas Campbell may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Thomas Campbell (poet) (1777–1844), Scottish poet * Thomas Campbell (sculptor) (1790–1858), Scottish sculptor * Thomas Campbell (visual artist) (born 1969), California-based visual artist ...

*Archibald Campbell *

Thomas Chalmers Thomas Chalmers (17 March 178031 May 1847), was a Scottish minister, professor of theology, political economist, and a leader of both the Church of Scotland and of the Free Church of Scotland. He has been called "Scotland's greatest nine ...

* James Cleland * John Clennel * John Colquhoun * John Davies *

John Graham Dalyell Sir John Graham Dalyell (August 1775 – 7 June 1851) was a Scottish advocate, antiquary and naturalist Life The second son of Sir Robert Dalyell, fourth baronet, who died in 1791, by Elizabeth, only daughter of Nicol Graham of Gartmore, Perthshi ...

* J. Denholm * David Dickson * Thomas Lauder Dick *Lieutenant-General Alexander Dirom * Henry Dewar * Archdeacon Drummond *

Henry Duncan Henry Duncan may refer to: * Henry Duncan (minister) (1774–1846), Scottish minister, geologist and social reformer; founder of the savings bank movement * Henry Duncan (naval officer, born 1735) (1735–1814), Naval captain and Deputy Comptroller ...

John Duncan John Duncan may refer to: Arts and entertainment * John Duncan (painter) (1866–1945), Scottish painter * John Duncan (artist) (born 1953), American artist and musician * Big John Duncan (born 1958), Scottish punk musician * John Duncan (harpist) ...

* Rev. Thomas Duncan * Thomas Duncan * George Dunbar *

James Erskine James Erskine may refer to: *James Erskine, 6th Earl of Buchan (died 1640) *James Erskine, 7th Earl of Buchan (died 1664), Earl of Buchan *Sir James Erskine, 2nd Baronet (c. 1670–1693), of the Erskine baronets * James Erskine (Aberdeen MP) (born ...

* William Edgeworth *

James Esdaile James Esdaile, M.D., E.I.C.S., Bengal (1808–1859), an Edinburgh trained Scottish surgeon, who served for twenty years with the East India Company, is a notable figure in the history of “animal magnetism" and, in particular, in the history ...

* John Farey, senior * John Farey, junior *

Andrew Ferguson Andrew Ferguson (born June 28, 1956) is an American journalist and author. Career Ferguson is currently a staff writer at '' The Atlantic''. Previously, he was senior editor of '' The Weekly Standard'' (defunct since December 2018), and a colum ...

* Denis Ferral * John Fleming * James D. Forbes * Andrew Fyffe * William Galbraith * Thomas Galloway * Alexander Galloway; ''(wrote the " Perspective" article, and was an acquaintance of

)'' * James Geddes * Patrick Gibson * Charles Giesecke * John Gordon * Robert Gordon *

James Grahame Rev James Grahame (22 April 1765 – 14 September 1811) was a Scottish poet. His best-known poem, ''The Sabbath'', combines devotional feeling with vivid description of Scottish scenery. Early life He was born at Whitehill House in Glasgow, t ...

* Robert Grant * James Grierson *John Gunn * George Harvey * William Jory Henwood * J. F. W. Herschel ''(" Isoperimetrical Problems", "

Mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

")'' * Samuel Hibbert * John Hodgson * James Innes *

David Irving David John Cawdell Irving (born 24 March 1938) is an English author and Holocaust denier who has written on the military and political history of World War II, with a focus on Nazi Germany. His works include '' The Destruction of Dresden'' (1 ...

* Alexander Irvine * Josiah Kirby *

Robert Kirkwood Robert Henry Kirkwood (1756November 4, 1791) was a United States officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War and the Northwest Indian War. He died in 1791 during the battle of St. Clair's Defeat. Early life Kirkwood was born in 1756 i ...

* Thomas Jackson *

Robert Jameson Robert Jameson Robert Jameson FRS FRSE (11 July 1774 – 19 April 1854) was a Scottish naturalist and mineralogist. As Regius Professor of Natural History at the University of Edinburgh for fifty years, developing his predecessor John ...

* John Jamieson * George Kellie * Robert Kerr * William Laidlaw *

Dionysius Lardner Professor Dionysius Lardner FRS FRSE (3 April 179329 April 1859) was an Irish scientific writer who popularised science and technology, and edited the 133-volume '' Cabinet Cyclopædia''. Early life in Dublin He was born in Dublin on 3 Apr ...

* William Leach * John Lee * John Leslie * Henry Liston *

John Lizars Prof John Lizars FRSE (15 May 1792–21 May 1860) was a Scottish surgeon, anatomist and medical author. He was Professor of surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and senior surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. He perfor ...

* J. G. Lockhart * John Loudon *

Joseph Lowe Joseph Lowe (1845-1899), aka "Rowdy Joe" Lowe, was a gambler and saloon keeper/owner of the Old West. Although sometimes described as a gunfighter, he did not historically fit into that category. Originally from Illinois, Lowe and his wife Kath ...

* Robert Lundie * Robert Lyall * A. Macarthur * Charles Mackenzie * George Mackenzie * James Macdonald * Archduke Maximilian * Mr. Maclaurin * J. R. MacCulloch *

John MacCulloch John MacCulloch FRS (6 October 1773 – 21 August 1835) was a Scottish geologist. He was the first geologist to be employed by the government in Britain and is best known for his pioneering texts on geology and for producing the first geologica ...

* William Memes * J. Morell *

Walter Morison Flight Lieutenant Walter McDonald Morison (26 November 1919 – 26 March 2009) was a Royal Air Force pilot who became a prisoner of war and was sent to Colditz for attempting to steal an enemy aircraft during the Second World War. Early lif ...

* Lockhart Muirhead *William Muller * John Murray * Hugh Murray * Thomas Murray * Andrew Mylne * John Narien * James Nicol * Patrick Neill * Peter Nicholson *

Alexander Nimmo Alexander Nimmo FRSE MRIA MICE HFGS (1783 – January 20, 1832) was a Scottish civil engineer and geologist active in early 19th-century Ireland. Life and career Nimmo was born in Cupar, Fife in 1783, the son of a watchmaker, and grew up in ...

* George Peacock * William Pearson * Alexander Peterkin *

John Pond John Pond FRS (1767 – 7 September 1836) was a renowned English astronomer who became the sixth Astronomer Royal, serving from 1811 to 1835. Biography Pond was born in London and, although the year of his birth is known, the records indica ...

* Richard Poole ''(wrote on "

Language Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of ...

", "

Mind The mind is the set of faculties responsible for all mental phenomena. Often the term is also identified with the phenomena themselves. These faculties include thought, imagination, memory, will, and sensation. They are responsible for various m ...

", "

Philology Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as ...

" and "

Philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. ...

")'' * William Percivall * John Ramsay *

William Ramsay Sir William Ramsay (; 2 October 1852 – 23 July 1916) was a Scottish chemist who discovered the noble gases and received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1904 "in recognition of his services in the discovery of the inert gaseous element ...

Thomas Reid Thomas Reid (; 7 May ( O.S. 26 April) 1710 – 7 October 1796) was a religiously trained Scottish philosopher. He was the founder of the Scottish School of Common Sense and played an integral role in the Scottish Enlightenment. In 1783 he wa ...

* William Ritchie * Abraham Robertson * John Robison * William Scoresby * Alexander Scott * John Corse Scott *

Robert Eden Scott Robert Eden Scott (April 23, 1808 – May 3, 1862) was a prominent Virginia planter, lawyer and politician who served many terms in the Virginia General Assembly. He also represented Fauquier County at the Virginia Secession Convention of 1 ...

* James Simpson * Rev. W. Singer * J. C. Simonde de Sismondi *

James Skene James Skene of Rubislaw (1775–1864) was a Scottish lawyer and amateur artist, best known as a friend of Sir Walter Scott. Life The second son of George Skene (1736–1776) of Rubislaw, Aberdeen and his wife Jane (Jean) Moir of Stoneywood, ...

* Thomas Somerville *

Robert Stevenson Robert Stevenson may refer to: * Robert Stevenson (actor and politician) (1915–1975), American actor and politician * Robert Stevenson (civil engineer) (1772–1850), Scottish lighthouse engineer * Robert Stevenson (director) (1905–1986), Engli ...

* William Stevenson, ''(the father of

Elizabeth Gaskell Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (''née'' Stevenson; 29 September 1810 – 12 November 1865), often referred to as Mrs Gaskell, was an English novelist, biographer and short story writer. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many st ...

; article "

Chivalry Chivalry, or the chivalric code, is an informal and varying code of conduct developed in Europe between 1170 and 1220. It was associated with the medieval Christian institution of knighthood; knights' and gentlemen's behaviours were governed b ...

" out of a total of around 50)'' *

Andrew Mitchell Thomson Andrew Mitchell Thomson (1779–1831) was a minister of the Church of Scotland, known as an evangelical activist and political reformer. Life The second son of the Rev. John Thomson, D.D., by his first wife, Helen Forrest, he was born in the ma ...

, ''(part-owner)'' * John Thomson *

Thomas Traill Air Vice Marshal Thomas Cathcart Traill, (6 August 1899 – 1 October 1973) was a senior Royal Air Force officer. He began his military career as a midshipman in the Royal Navy, transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in 1917 and rose to the ran ...

* Rev. J. M. Turner * Edmund Turrel * William Tytler * Rev. W. Wade * Josiah Walker *

William Wallace Sir William Wallace ( gd, Uilleam Uallas, ; Norman French: ; 23 August 1305) was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence. Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army ...

James Watt James Watt (; 30 January 1736 (19 January 1736 OS) – 25 August 1819) was a Scottish inventor, mechanical engineer, and chemist who improved on Thomas Newcomen's 1712 Newcomen steam engine with his Watt steam engine in 1776, which was ...

* James Wilson * John Yule

References

External links

Complete First British and First and Second American editions
at the

Online Books Page The Online Books Page is an index of e-text books available on the Internet. It is edited by John Mark Ockerbloom and is hosted by the library of the University of Pennsylvania. The Online Books Page lists over 2 million books and has several fe ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edinburgh Encyclopaedia Book series introduced in 1808 Scottish encyclopedias Scottish books History of Edinburgh Culture in Edinburgh Reference works in the public domain Publications established in 1808 1808 establishments in Scotland 1808 non-fiction books William Blackwood books 19th-century encyclopedias 19th-century British literature

Contributors

References

Further reading

External links