John Hill Burton
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John Hill Burton (August 22, 1809 – August 10, 1881) was a Scottish historian, jurist, and economist. He was Historiographer Royal 1867-1881.
Burton was born and educated in Aberdeen, the son of W K Burton by his spouse Eliza Paton. After graduating, he moved to Edinburgh and studied for the Bar, being admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1831. However, he had little practice, and in 1854 was appointed Secretary to the Prison Board of Scotland, and in 1877 a Commissioner of Prisons.
He became at an early period of his life a contributor to Blackwood's Magazine and other periodicals, and in 1846 published a life of David Hume, which attracted considerable attention, and was followed by Lives of Lord Lovat and Lord President Forbes. He began his career as a historian by the publication in 1853 of History of Scotland from the Revolution to the Extinction of the last Jacobite Insurrection, to which he added (1867-70) History of Scotland from Agricola's Invasion to the Revolution, in 7 vols., thus completing a continuous narrative. Subsequently he published a History of the Reign of Queen Anne (1880). Other works of a lighter kind were The Book-Hunter (1862), and The Scot Abroad (1864). Burton's historical works display much research and a spirit of candour and honesty. Burton was one of the first historians to introduce the principles of historical research into the study and writing of the history of Scotland.
John Hill Burton married Isabella née Lauder (1810 - 1850) and died at Morton House, Edinburgh. He was interred in Dalmeny Cemetery, but a monument to him, his wife and children is in Dean Cemetery where they are buried.
[edit] References
- The Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh edited by A S Cowper, and Euan S McIver, Edinburgh, 1992, ISBN 0-901061-54-9
- This article incorporates public domain text from: Cousin, John William (1910). A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London, J.M. Dent & sons; New York, E.P. Dutton.
