James Graeme (15 December 1749 – 26 July 1772) was a Scottish poet.

Life

Graeme was born 15 December 1749, at

Carnwath Carnwath (Gaelic: ''A' Chathair Nuadh''; English: "New Fort") is a moorland village on the southern edge of the Pentland Hills of South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The village lies about south of both Edinburgh and Glasgow. It is bounded by the Nort ...

Lanarkshire Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark ( gd, Siorrachd Lannraig; sco, Lanrikshire), is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the central Lowlands of Scotland. Lanarkshire is the most populous county in Scotl ...

, the fourth and youngest son of William Graeme, a farmer of the middle class. As a child he was delicate, and his parents educated him for the ministry. After being taught to read in a

dame's school Dame schools were small, privately run schools for young children that emerged in the British Isles and its colonies during the early modern period. These schools were taught by a “school dame,” a local woman who would educate children f ...

, he was sent to the grammar schools of Carnwath, Libberton, and

Lanark Lanark (; gd, Lannraig ; sco, Lanrik) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, located 20 kilometres to the south-east of Hamilton. The town lies on the River Clyde, at its confluence with Mouse Water. In 2016, the town had a population of 9 ...

. In 1767 he went to 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 ...

, where he studied for three years. His friend and biographer, Robert Anderson (1750–1830), says that he excelled in classical learning, and made a special study of metaphysics, besides reading widely in general literature. In 1769 he was presented to a bursary at the

University of St Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

, but soon resigned it, and, returning to Edinburgh next year, entered the theological class. In 1771 he became tutor to the sons of Major Martin White of Milton, near Lanark. He died of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

at Carnwath on 26 July 1772.

Works

His poems consisted of

elegies An elegy is a poem of serious reflection, and in English literature usually a lament for the dead. However, according to ''The Oxford Handbook of the Elegy'', "for all of its pervasiveness ... the 'elegy' remains remarkably ill defined: sometime ...

and miscellaneous pieces. His poetical reputation is due to Anderson, who printed his friend's poems after his death, together with some of his own, in ''Poems on Several Occasions'', Edinburgh, 1773. They reappeared in Robert Anderson's ''Poets of Great Britain'', vol. xi., and in

Richard Alfred Davenport Richard Alfred Davenport (1777–1852) was an English miscellaneous writer. Life Davenport was born in Lambeth on 18 January 1777, and started work as a writer in London at an early age. In the late 1790s he knew John Britton and Peter Lionel C ...

's ''British Poets'', vol. lxxi.; a selection is given in ''The Works of the British Poets'', edited by Thomas Park, vol. v.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Graeme, James 1749 births 1772 deaths 18th-century Scottish people 18th-century Scottish poets Scottish educators Alumni of the University of St Andrews Alumni of the University of Edinburgh People from South Lanarkshire