John Ker (died 1741) was a Scottish schoolteacher and academic, a classical scholar known as a Neo-Latin poet.
Ker was born at Dunblane, Perthshire, and was for a time schoolmaster at Crieff. About 1710, after examination by ministers and professors, he became a master in the Royal High School, Edinburgh. In 1717 he was appointed professor of Greek in King's College, Aberdeen, the first specialist teacher of the subject there, despite his admiration for the uncompromising Jacobite Archibald Pitcairne. [1]
On 2 October 1734 Ker succeeded Adam Watt in the Latin chair at Edinburgh University. He studied law, and was a popular teacher, if (in the view of Alexander Carlyle) deferential to students from the nobility. He died at Edinburgh in November 1741. [1]
About 1725 Ker published his Latin poem Donaides (those of the River Don), celebrating worthies of Aberdeen. In 1727 there appeared his paraphrase of the Song of Solomon, Cantici Solomonis Paraphrasis Gemina. He was also the author of memorial verses on Archibald Pitcairne, Sir William Scott of Thirlestane (1674?-1725), and others. He was included with other Scottish Latinists, in William Lauder's Poetarum Scotorum Musæ Sacræ, 1739. The Latin ballad on the battle of Killiecrankie versified in English by Sir Walter Scott and published in Chambers's Journal has been thought probably Ker's, since Robert Chambers. [1]
Thomas Ruddiman was a Scottish classical scholar.
Archibald Pitcairne or Pitcairn was a Scottish physician. He was a physician and poet who first studied law at Edinburgh and Paris graduating with an M.A. from Edinburgh in 1671. He turned his attention to medicine, and commenced to practise in Edinburgh, around 1681. He was appointed professor of physic at Leyden, in 1692, resigning his chair. On returning to Edinburgh, however, around 1693, he was suspected of being at heart an atheist, chiefly on account of his mockery of the puritanical strictness of the Presbyterian church. He was the reputed author of two satirical works, 'The Assembly, or Scotch Reformation : a Comedy,' 1692, and Habel, a Satirical Poem,' 1692. He wrote also a number of Latin verses. He was one of the most celebrated physicians of his time.
William Kerr, first Earl of Lothian of a new creation (1605–1675) was a Scottish nobleman.
Sir William Duguid Geddes was a Scottish scholar and educationalist, who promoted the cause of classical Greek at the University of Aberdeen and later became Principal. Geddes's classical translations, grammars and scholarship contributed to publications both written with collaborators and edited in series. One of the outstanding scholars of his generation in Scotland, he was the architect of the fusion of the modern University of Aberdeen and its High Victorian development.
John Ker, 1st Duke of Roxburghe, KG, PC, FRS was a Scottish nobleman.
Alexander Allardyce was a Scottish author, journalist and historian. He wrote for Friend of India, Indian Statesman, Fraser's Magazine, the Spectator among other publications, and was at one time the editor of the Ceylon Times.
Vans Kennedy (1784–1846) was a Scottish major-general of the British Army, an East India Company official, and a Sanskrit and Persian scholar.
Keeley Halswelle (1831–1891), born John Keeley Haswell, was an English artist.
Alexander Ireland (1810–1894) was a Scottish journalist, man of letters, and bibliophile, notable as a biographer of Ralph Waldo Emerson as well as a friend of Emerson and other literary celebrities, including Leigh Hunt and Thomas Carlyle, and the geologist and scientific speculator Robert Chambers. His own most popular book was The Book-Lover's Enchiridion, published under a pseudonym in 1882.
John Nevay was a Scottish Covenanter. He was the nephew of Andrew Cant, minister of Aberdeen. He graduated with an M.A. from King's College, Aberdeen, in 1626. He worked as tutor to George, Master of Ramsay. He was licensed by the Presbytery of Dalkeith 14 October 1630 on the recommendation of that of Alford, but left its bounds a fortnight after. He was admitted about 1637 and appointed in 1647 a member of committee to revise the Psalter. He was present at Mauchline Moor in opposition to the royal army in June 1648. He was subsequently pardoned by Parliament on 16 January 1649. Nevay was appointed a commissioner by Parliament for visiting the University of Aberdeen 31 July 1649. He was active in raising the western army in 1650, and in 1651 a prominent supporter of the Protesters. In 1654 he was named by the Council of England on a committee for authorising admissions to the ministry in the province of Glasgow and Ayr. On 23 December 1662 he was banished by the Privy Council from His Majesty's dominions and went to Holland, where he died in 1672, aged about 66.
Sir William Scott, 2nd Baronet of Thirlestane was a Scottish lawyer, known as a Neo-Latin poet.
David James Hamilton FRS FRSE FRCSE was a Scottish pathologist, known for his work on the diseases of sheep.
Aeneas James George Mackay was a Scottish lawyer and academic, known as a legal and historical writer.
Dr James Matthews DuncanFRS FRSE FRCP FRCPE LLD was a Scottish physician, known as a practitioner of and author on obstetrics.
Andrew Simson (c.1526–c.1591) was a Scottish minister and schoolmaster.
George Martine, the younger (1700–1741) was a Scottish physician.
Sir James Stirling, 1st Baronet of Larbert and Mansfield was a Scottish banker who served three consecutive terms as Lord Provost of Edinburgh.
John Row, born 1598, was the second son of John Row, minister of Carnock, and grandson of John Row, the Reformer. He educated at University of St Andrews graduating with an M.A. in 1617. He was elected schoolmaster of Kirkcaldy 2 November 1619, resigning before 25 November 1628. He was licensed by the Presbytery of Dalkeith 29 September 1631 and became tutor to George Hay, afterwards second Earl of Kinnoul, by whose father, the Lord Chancellor's recommendation, he was appointed master of the Grammar School of Perth in June 1632. He was ordained to Third Charge, Aberdeen, 14 December 1641 and appointed on 23rd November 1642 as lecturer on Hebrew in Marischal College. He was so actively engaged in support of the Covenanting party that on the approach of Montrose to Aberdeen in 1646 he was compelled to take refuge in Dunnottar Castle. Row was appointed by the General Assembly in 1647 to revise the new version of the Psalms from 90 to 120. He was a member of the Commission of Assembly in 1648, and of Commission for visiting the University of Aberdeen 31 July 1649. John Row joined the Independents and was admitted to a church of that persuasion in Edinburgh. He was promoted to Principalship of King's College in Aberdeen in September 1652. He resigned in 1661, and thereafter kept a school in Aberdeen. He died at the manse of Kinellar in October 1672 and was buried at Kinellar.
William Gordon was a 17th-century landowner and Covenanter. He is remembered as being a correspondent in Samuel Rutherford's Letters and being one of the biographies in John Howie's Scots Worthies. He was regarded as a man of strong religious convictions and piety. In 1664 he was banished for listening to ministers who lacked a government licence, both at his mother's house and in the woods. He arrived at the Battle of Bothwell Bridge after the fighting was over and, hesitating to surrender, was shot.
Archibald Simpson, born in 1564, was the son of Andrew Simpson. He was educated at University of St Andrews, graduating with an MA in 1585. He became assistant minister to his father at Dalkeith in 1586. Archibald was made clerk to the Presbytery on 10 October 1588. He was ordained on 3 June 1591.