Patrick Fraser Tytler

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 ...

FSA(Scot) The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is the senior antiquarian body of Scotland, with its headquarters in the National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh. The Society's aim is to promote the cultural heritage of Scotland. The usua ...

(30 August 179124 December 1849) was a Scottish

advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. Different countries' legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. However, ...

and historian. He was described as the "Episcopalian historian of a Presbyterian country".

Life

The Fraser Tytler family vault, Greyfriars Kirkyard

The son of

Alexander Fraser Tytler, Lord Woodhouselee Alexander Fraser Tytler, Lord Woodhouselee FRSE (15 October 17475 January 1813) was a Scottish advocate, judge, writer and historian who was a Professor of Universal History, and Greek and Roman Antiquities at the University of Edinburgh. Lif ...

, he was born in a house on George Street in

Edinburgh's New Town The New Town is a central area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It was built in stages between 1767 and around 1850, and retains much of its original neo-classical and Georgian period architecture. Its best known street is Princes Street ...

. He was named after his paternal uncle, Col Patrick Tytler. He was educated at the Edinburgh High School. He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in Edinburgh in 1813; in 1816 he became

King's counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel ( post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of a queen, is a lawyer (usually a barrister or ...

in the Exchequer, and practised as an advocate until 1832. At this time he was living at 36 Melville Street, a large terraced townhouse in Edinburgh's west end. He then moved to London, and it was largely owing to his efforts that a scheme for publishing state papers was carried out. Tytler was one of the founders of the Bannatyne Club and of the

English Historical Society English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. He died at

Great Malvern Great Malvern is an area of the spa town of Malvern, Worcestershire, England. It lies at the foot of the Malvern Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, on the eastern flanks of the Worcestershire Beacon and North Hill, and is ...

on 24 December 1849. His body was returned to Edinburgh for burial in the family vault, which lies within the sealed south-west section of Greyfriars Kirkyard known as the Covenanter's Prison. His biography (1859) was written by his friend

John William Burgon John William Burgon (21 August 18134 August 1888) was an English Anglican divine who became the Dean of Chichester Cathedral in 1876. He was known during his lifetime for his poetry and his defence of the historicity and Mosaic authorship of Gen ...

Family

Tytler first married Rachel Elisabeth Hog (sister of

James Maitland Hog James Maitland Hog of Newliston and Kellie FRSE DL (7 August 1799 – 1 August 1858) was a Scottish advocate and landowner. He owned Newliston House and its estates, an impressive mansion by Robert Adam. Early life James Maitland Hog, of ...

) on 30 March 1826 at

Newliston Newliston is a country house near Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located south-west of Kirkliston, and west of the city centre. The house, designed by Robert Adam in the late 18th century, is a category A listed building. The 18th-century gardens, ...

and together they had 3 children, including Mary Stewart Fraser Tytler (1827–1887) who is buried in Grange Cemetery rather than in the family vault. Rachel died on 15 April 1835. He then married on either 12 or 22 August 1845, in

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

, his cousin, Anastasia Bonar, daughter of Thomson Bonar (1780–1828) of Campden, Kent, by his spouse Anastasia Jessie Gascoigne, widow of

Charles Gascoigne Charles Gascoigne (1738–1806) was a British industrialist at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. He was a partner and manager of the Carron Company ironworks in its early years, but left in 1786, before the company's success became ob ...

, daughter of Dr Matthew Guthrie of Halkerton.

Works

Tytler is most noted for his literary output. He contributed to Archibald Alison's ''Travels in France'' (1815); his first independent essays were papers in '' Blackwood's Magazine''. His major work, the ''History of Scotland'' (1828–1843), covered the period between 1249 and 1603. A second edition was published in 1841–1843. The seventh volume deals with the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots after her marriage with Darnley. His other works include: *contributions to

George Thomson George Thomson may refer to: Government and politics * George Thomson (MP for Southwark) (c. 1607–1691), English merchant and Parliamentarian soldier, official and politician * George Thomson, Baron Thomson of Monifieth (1921–2008), Scottish p ...

's ''Select Melodies of Scotland'' (1824) *''Life of James Crichton of Cluny, commonly called the Admirable Crichton'' (1819; 2nd ed., 1823) *a ''Memoir of Sir Thomas Craig of Riccarton'' (1823) *an ''Essay on the Revival of Greek Literature in Italy'', and ''The Life of John Wycliffe'', published anonymously (1826)
''Lives of Scottish Worthies''
for ''

Murray's Family Library ''Murray's Family Library'' was a series of non-fiction works published from 1829 to 1834, by John Murray, in 51 volumes. The series editor was John Gibson Lockhart, who also wrote the first book, a biography of Napoleon. The books were priced a ...

'' (1831–1833)
''Historical View of the Progress of Discovery in America''
(1832)
''Life of Sir Walter Raleigh''
(1833) *''Memoirs of the War Carried on in Scotland and Ireland in 1689–1691'' (1833)
''Life of Henry VIII.''
(1837)
''England under the Reigns of Edward VI. and Mary'', from original letters
(1839) *''Notes on the Darnley Jewel'' (1843) *''Portraits of Mary Queen of Scots'' (1845).

References

* ''The Royal Families of England, Scotland, and Wales, with their Descendants'', etc., by Messrs, John and John Bernard Burke, London, volume 1 (1848) pedigree CLXXIX.

External links

* * * * * * * * * * * The contents of the missing Volume V above, from the 3rd Edition, are contained in a later edition, immediately following (which itself is from an incomplete edition of Tytler's ''History''). * * Several of his other works * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Works about him and his publications * * * * – a review taking Tytler to task on a number of points; first printed in th
North British Review (May – August 1845)
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tytler, Patrick Fraser 1791 births 1849 deaths Writers from Edinburgh People educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh Members of the Faculty of Advocates Historians of Scotland 19th-century Scottish historians Scottish King's Counsel Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Burials at Greyfriars Kirkyard Scottish antiquarians Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland