Robert Anderson (7 January 1750 – 20 February 1830) was a
Scottish author and critic.
Son of David Anderson, W.S., he was born 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 ...
. He studied first
divinity
Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.[divine< ...](_blank)
and then medicine at 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 ...
, and subsequently, after some experience as a surgeon, took his M.D. 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 ...
in 1778. He began to practise as a physician at
Alnwick in Northumberland, but he became financially independent by his marriage with the daughter of John Gray, and abandoned his profession for a literary life in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
.
For several years his attention was occupied with his edition of ''The Works of the British Poets, with Prefaces Biographical and Critical'' (14 vols. 8vo, Edin., 1792–1807). His other publications were:
*''The Miscellaneous Works of
Tobias Smollett
Tobias George Smollett (baptised 19 March 1721 – 17 September 1771) was a Scottish poet and author. He was best known for picaresque novels such as '' The Adventures of Roderick Random'' (1748), '' The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle'' (1751 ...
, M.D., with Memoirs of his Life and Writings'' (Edin., 1796)
*''Life of
Samuel Johnson, LL.D., with Critical Observations on his Works'' (Edin., 1815)
*''The Works of John Moore, M.D., with Memoirs of his Life and Writings'' (Edin., 7 vols., 1820)
*''The Grave and other Poems, by
Robert Blair; to which are prefixed some Account of his Life and Observations on his Writings'' (Edin., 1826).
Anderson was elected a member of the
American Antiquarian Society
The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society i ...
in 1816.
Freemasonry
He was a Scottish Freemason having been Initiated in The Lodge of Holyrood House (St Luke's), No.44, in 1781.
[Lindsay, Robert Strathern (1935)]
A History of the Masonic Lodge of Holyrood House (St. Lukes), No. 44 Holding of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, with Roll of Members, 1734–1934
Vol. II. T. and A. Constable at the University Press. p. 602.
References
Attribution
Further reading
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Robert
Scottish literary critics
1750 births
1830 deaths
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Alumni of the University of St Andrews
Members of the American Antiquarian Society
Scottish Freemasons