Andrew Crichton (1790–1855) was a Scottish

biographer Biographers are authors who write an account of another person's life, while autobiographers are authors who write their own biography. Biographers Countries of working life: Ab=Arabia, AG=Ancient Greece, Al=Australia, Am=Armenian, AR=Ancient Rome ...

and

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...

. Crichton, youngest son of a small landed proprietor, was born in the parish of Kirkmahoe,

Dumfriesshire Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries or Shire of Dumfries (''Siorrachd Dhùn Phris'' in Gaelic) is a historic county and registration county in southern Scotland. The Dumfries lieutenancy area covers a similar area to the historic county. I ...

, December 1790, and educated at

Dumfries Academy Dumfries ( ; sco, Dumfries; from gd, Dùn Phris ) is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is located near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth about by road from the ...

and 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 ...

. After becoming a licensed preacher he was for some time engaged in teaching in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

and

North Berwick North Berwick (; gd, Bearaig a Tuath) is a seaside town A seaside resort is a town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on th ...

. In 1823 he published his first work, the ''Life of the Rev. John Blackadder'', which was followed by the ''Life of Colonel J. Blackadder'', 1824, and ''Memoirs of the Rev. Thomas Scott'', 1825. To ''

Constable's Miscellany ''Constable's Miscellany'' was a part publishing serial established by Archibald Constable. Three numbers made up a volume; many of the works were divided into several volumes. The price of a number was one shilling. The full series title was ' ...

'' he contributed five volumes, viz. ''Converts from Infidelity'', 2 vols. 1827, and a translation of Christoph Wilhelm von Koch's ''Revolutions in Europe'', 3 vols. 1828. In the ''

Edinburgh Cabinet Library The ''Edinburgh Cabinet Library'' was a series of 38 books, mostly geographical, published from 1830 to 1844, and edited by Dionysius Lardner. The original price was 5 shillings for a volume; a later reissue of 30 of the volumes was at half that ...

'' he wrote the ''History of Arabia'', 2 vols. 1833, and ''Scandinavia, Ancient and Modern'' (written with

Henry Wheaton Henry Wheaton (November 27, 1785 – March 11, 1848) was a United States lawyer, jurist and diplomat. He was the third Reporter of Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States, reporter of decisions for the United States Supreme Court, the ...

), 2 vols. 1838. He commenced his connection with the newspaper press in 1828 by editing (at first in conjunction with

De Quincey Thomas Penson De Quincey (; 15 August 17858 December 1859) was an English writer, essayist, and literary critic, best known for his ''Confessions of an English Opium-Eater'' (1821). Many scholars suggest that in publishing this work De Quince ...

) the '' Edinburgh Evening Post''. In 1830 he conducted the ''

North Briton North Britain is a term which has been occasionally used, particularly in the 17th and 18th centuries, for either the northern part of Great Britain or Scotland, which occupies the northernmost third of the island. "North Britains" could also re ...

'', and in 1832 he undertook the editorship of the ''

Edinburgh Advertiser ''The Edinburgh Advertiser'', sometimes referred to as ''The Advertiser'', was a twice-weekly newspaper published in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Tuesday and Friday mornings for almost a century, from 1764 to 1859. At the time of its inception, it ...

'', in which employment he continued till June 1851. He contributed extensively to periodicals, among others to the ''

Westminster Review The ''Westminster Review'' was a quarterly British publication. Established in 1823 as the official organ of the Philosophical Radicals, it was published from 1824 to 1914. James Mill was one of the driving forces behind the liberal journal until ...

'', ''

Tait's Edinburgh Magazine ''Tait's Edinburgh Magazine'' was a monthly periodical founded in 1832. It was an important venue for liberal political views, as well as contemporary cultural and literary developments, in early-to-mid-nineteenth century Britain. The magazine wa ...

'', the ''

Dublin University Magazine The ''Dublin University Magazine'' was an independent literary cultural and political magazine published in Dublin from 1833 to 1882. It started out as a magazine of political commentary but increasingly became devoted to literature. The magazine ...

'', ''

Fraser's Magazine ''Fraser's Magazine for Town and Country'' was a general and literary journal published in London from 1830 to 1882, which initially took a strong Tory line in politics. It was founded by Hugh Fraser and William Maginn in 1830 and loosely directe ...

'', the '' Church Review'', and the '' Church of Scotland Magazine and Review''. In 1837 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 ...

conferred on him the degree of

Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL. ...

. He was a member of the

presbytery of Edinburgh The Presbytery of Edinburgh was one of the presbyteries of the Church of Scotland, being the local presbytery for Edinburgh.Church of Scotland Yearbook, 2010-2011 edition, Its boundary was almost identical to that of the City of Edinburgh Counci ...

, being ruling elder of the congregation of

Trinity College Church Trinity College Kirk was a royal collegiate church in Edinburgh, Scotland. The kirk and its adjacent almshouse, Trinity Hospital, were founded in 1460 by Mary of Gueldres in memory of her husband, King James II who had been killed at th ...

, and sat in the general assembly of the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...

as elder for the

burgh A burgh is an autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland and Northern England, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burg ...

of Cullen for three years previous to his decease. He died at 33 St. Bernard's Crescent, Edinburgh, 9 Jan. 1855. He married first, in July 1835, Isabella Calvert, daughter of James Calvert, LL.D. of Montrose, she died in November 1837; and secondly, December 1844, Jane, daughter of the Rev. John Duguid, minister of Erie and Kendall. He was a good friend of

Leitch Ritchie Leitch Ritchie (1800–1865) was a Scottish novelist and journalist. He was born at Greenock and worked as a clerk in Glasgow, but about 1820 adopted literature as his profession. Ritchie wrote four novels, of which the most successful was '' We ...

, who was his neighbour at St Bernards Cresecent.

Notes

References

;Attribution

External links

Works by Andrew Crichton at Google Books
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crichton, Andrew 1790 births 1855 deaths Scottish biographers 19th-century Scottish historians Elders of the Church of Scotland People from Dumfries and Galloway Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Alumni of the University of St Andrews