Alexander Macbean (died 1784) was a British writer and amanuensis, known as a lexicographer.

Life

Macbean worked as amanuensis for

Ephraim Chambers Ephraim Chambers ( – 15 May 1740) was an English writer and encyclopaedist, who is primarily known for producing the '' Cyclopaedia, or a Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences''. Biography Chambers was born in Milton near Kendal, Westmor ...

; and then was one of the six amanuenses employed '' Johnson's Dictionary''. About 1758 he obtained, through Samuel Johnson, the post of librarian to

Archibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of Argyll Archibald is a masculine given name, composed of the Germanic elements '' erchan'' (with an original meaning of "genuine" or "precious") and '' bald'' meaning "bold". Medieval forms include Old High German and Anglo-Saxon . Erkanbald, bishop o ...

. On the duke's death in 1761, Macbean was left without income, and he became mainly dependent on charity. In 1775, when Macbean was starving, as his former colleague Peyton had already done, Johnson who found him unworldly gave him four guineas and collected more; and in 1780, through his influence with

Lord Thurlow Baron Thurlow, of Thurlow in the County of Suffolk, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created on 11 June 1792 for the lawyer and politician Edward Thurlow, 1st Baron Thurlow, with remainder to his younger brothers and the heir ...

, obtained him admission as a poor brother to the

London Charterhouse The London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Farringdon, London, dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square, and lies within the London Borough of Islington. It was originally built ( ...

. There he died on 26 June 1784.

Works

Macbean wrote: *''A Synopsis or short Analytical View of Chemistry'' (1743), translated from the German of Gottfried Rothe, a student of

Georg Ernst Stahl Georg Ernst Stahl (22 October 1659 – 24 May 1734) was a German chemist, physician and philosopher. He was a supporter of vitalism, and until the late 18th century his works on phlogiston were accepted as an explanation for chemical processes.K ...

. *''Dictionary of Ancient Geography'' (1773), preface by Johnson. * ''A Dictionary of the Bible'' (1777). He also compiled numerous indexes, including that to Johnson's edition of the ''English Poets''.

Notes

Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Macbean, Alexander Year of birth missing 1784 deaths British lexicographers Amanuenses