Archibald Alison
Archibald Alison - A Famous Scottish Author
Archibald Alison (1757 - 1839) was born, on the 3 th of November 1757, in Edinburgh, son of Patrick Alison, provost of Edinburgh. He studied at the University of Glasgow and then in Oxford at Balliol College. Having taken orders in the Church of England he was appointed the curacy of Brancepeth, Durham in 1778. In 1784 he married Dorothea, the youngest daughter of Professor Gregory of Edinburgh. In 1790 he was appointed to the chapelry of Kenley in Shropshire, in 1791 Roddington and in 1794 he was appointed to the vicarage of Ercall.
In 1790 he published "Essays on the Nature and Principles of Taste" but it failed to attract much attention. In 1800, Archibald Alison was invited by Sir William Forbes and the vestry of the Episcopal Chapel in the the Cowgate of Edinburgh to become their senior minister. His preaching attracted much interest and the congregation grew considerably. "Essays on the Nature and Principles of Taste", a work based on the principle of "association", was published again in 1811. This time it recieved fovorable reviews and met with great success.
In 1830 Archibald Alison's wife died, Dorothea hard borne him 6 children but only 3 had survived and, in 1831 Archibald Alison retired to Colinton, near Edinburgh where he died on the 17th of May 1839.
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