Samuel Cowan (1835 – 18 June 1914) was a Scottish historian, antiquarian, biographer, publisher and journalist who wrote several books, including ''Mary Queen of Scots and Who Wrote the Casket Letters'' (1901), ''The Gowrie Conspiracy'' (1902), ''The Ancient Capital of Scotland'' (1904) and ''The Royal House of Stuart'' (1908). Cowan was also a

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

. Between 1866 and 1907, Cowan was the printer and publisher of the ''

Perthshire Advertiser The ''Perthshire Advertiser'' (originally the ''Perthshire Advertiser and Strathmore Journal'') is a tabloid newspaper, published by Reach plc, in Perth, Scotland. The ''PA'', as it is commonly known, has two editions, a Tuesday and Friday. ...

''.''Perthshire Advertiser'', 7 August 1979.

Personal life

His father was James Cowan, registrar of

Monkton Monkton may refer to: Places ;United Kingdom *Monkton, Devon, England *Monkton, Kent, England *Monkton, Pembroke, Wales * Monkton, South Ayrshire, Scotland *Monkton, Tyne and Wear, England * Monkton, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales ;Canada *Monkton, Onta ...

and Prestwick. In 1864, Cowan married Jane Jack, of

Largs Largs ( gd, An Leargaidh Ghallda) is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" (''An Leargaidh'') in Scottish Gaelic. A popular seaside resort with a pier, the town mark ...

, with whom he had one son and two daughters. At the time of his death, the family was living at 33 Fountainhall Road in Edinburgh. Cowan was a member of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cowan, Samuel 1835 births 1914 deaths Scottish historians Scottish writers Scottish biographers Scottish antiquarians Scottish journalists 19th-century Scottish newspaper publishers (people) 20th-century Scottish newspaper publishers (people) Scottish justices of the peace