Author: Leyden, John
Biography:
LEYDEN, John (1775-1811: ODNB)
Born at Denholm, in the parish of Cavers, Roxburghshire, he was the son of John Leyden and Isabella (Scott) Leyden. His parents began farming at Henlawshiel where Leyden grew up, working as a shepherd and attending the parish school at Kirktown before going to the University of Edinburgh (1790-97). He studied philosophy, theology, and some medicine while developing an interest in languages during the vacations. He contributed to the Edinburgh Literary Magazine and came to know many prominent members of Edinburgh’s literary and intellectual circles, including Richard Heber who introduced him to Scott. He published his A Historical and Philosophical Sketch of the Discoveries & Settlements of the Europeans in Northern & Western Africa in 1799, helped Scott with his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border (1802), and edited Scottish Descriptive Poems (1803). In the absence of any church appointment, Leyden considered going abroad and William Dundas secured for him the post of surgeon at Madras. In preparation, Leyden spent six months completing a degree in medicine at St Andrews before arriving at Madras in August 1803. Although he discharged his medical duties diligently, his real interest lay in furthering his understanding and knowledge of languages as he travelled about the region and took up a range of different posts. He became ill after entering a local library on a journey to Java and he died at Cornelis following a brief illness. (ODNB 30 Sept 2019)
Other Names:
- J. Leyden
- Li'rpooliensis Pindar