Kenneth Macaulay (1723 – 2 March 1779) was a Scottish church minister, and writer of a history of

St Kilda, Scotland St Kilda ( gd, Hiort) is an isolated archipelago situated west-northwest of North Uist in the North Atlantic Ocean. It contains the westernmost islands of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The largest island is Hirta, whose sea cliffs are the h ...

Life

Macauly was the third son of Aulay Macaulay (1673–1758), minister of

Harris, Outer Hebrides Harris ( gd, Na Hearadh, ) is the southern and more mountainous part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Although not an island itself, Harris is often referred to in opposition to the ''Isle of Lewis'' as t ...

, and his wife Margaret Morison. He was educated at

King's College, Aberdeen King's College in Old Aberdeen, Scotland, the full title of which is The University and King's College of Aberdeen (''Collegium Regium Abredonense''), is a formerly independent university founded in 1495 and now an integral part of the Universi ...

, where he graduated M.A. in 1742. In 1749 he was appointed missionary to

Lochaber Lochaber ( ; gd, Loch Abar) is a name applied to a part of the Scottish Highlands. Historically, it was a provincial lordship consisting of the parishes of Kilmallie and Kilmonivaig, as they were before being reduced in extent by the creation ...

, but declined it, and in November 1751 he was ordained as assistant and successor to his father, whom he succeeded as sole pastor in 1758. In 1761 he was presented by Archibald, duke of Argyll, to the parish of

Ardnamurchan Ardnamurchan (, gd, Àird nam Murchan: headland of the great seas) is a peninsula in the ward management area of Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, noted for being very unspoiled and undisturbed. Its remoteness is accentuated by the main access ...

, Argyllshire, and was admitted there in July. In October 1772 he was translated to Braaven, now known as

Cawdor Cawdor ( gd, Caladair) is a village and parish in the Highland council area, Scotland. The village is south-southwest of Nairn and east of Inverness. The village is in the Historic County of Nairnshire. History The village is the location of ...

. He married in 1758 Penelope Macleod, and they had five children. Neil, the eldest, became a missionary minister in Harris. Macaulay died on 2 March 1779, in his fifty-sixth year, survived by his wife.

''The History of St Kilda''

Macaulay visited St Kilda in 1759, on behalf of the SSPCK, and published in 1764 ''The History of St Kilda, containing a Description of this Remarkable Island, the Manners and Customs of its Inhabitants, the Religious and Pagan Antiquities there found, with many other curious and interesting particulars.'' The volume was shown to

Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. The ''Oxford ...

James Boswell James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck (; 29 October 1740 (New Style, N.S.) – 19 May 1795), was a Scottish biographer, diarist, and lawyer, born in Edinburgh. He is best known for his biography of his friend and older contemporary the Englis ...

prior to his visit to the Hebrides in 1773. Johnson pronounced it "very well written, except some foppery about liberty and slavery". With Boswell he visited Macaulay on his journey to the Hebrides, and from conversation with him came to the conclusion that he could not have written the book. "There is," he said, "a combination in it of which Macaulay is not capable." Johnson may have been partly influenced in his opinion by a discussion he had on the English clergy with Macaulay, who was by no means respectful towards episcopal claims. Johnson pronounced him a "bigot to laxness". Boswell was told that the book had been written by John Macpherson of Skye from materials supplied by Macaulay. It is now generally accepted that the book is mostly Macaulay's own work, with some parts contributed by Macpherson.

References

Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Macaulay, Kenneth 1723 births 1779 deaths 18th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland 18th-century antiquarians St Kilda, Scotland