Alexander Allardyce
Encyclopedia
Alexander Allardyce was a Scottish author.
Allardyce was the son of James Allardyce, farmer, was born on 21 January 1846 at Tilly-minit, Gartly
, parish of Rhynie, Aberdeenshire. Receiving his first lessons in Latin from his maternal grandmother (Smith, An Aberdeenshire Village Propaganda), he was educated at Rhynie parish school, Aberdeen Grammar School
, and the University of Aberdeen
. In 1868 he became sub-editor of the 'Friend of India' at Serampore
, Bengal
. Lord Mayo
appreciated him so highly that he offered him an assistant-commissionership, but he kept to journalism. He was on the 'Friend of India' till 1875, having apparently at the same time done work for the 'Indian Statesman.' In 1875 he succeeded John Capper as editor of the 'Ceylon Times,' and one of his early experiences of office was tendering an apology to the judicial bench for contempt (The Times, 25 April 1896). Returning to Europe, he was for a time at Berlin and afterwards in London, where he wrote for 'Fraser's Magazine,' the 'Spectator,' and other periodicals. In 1877 he settled at Edinburgh as reader to the house of Messrs. William Blackwood and Sons, and assistant-editor of 'Blackwood's Magazine.' He died at Portobello
on 23 April 1896, and was buried in Rhynie parish churchyard, Aberdeenshire.
When comparatively young Allardyce married his cousin, Barbara Anderson, who survived him. There was no family.
Allardyce wrote: 1. ‘The City of Sunshine,’ 1877; 2nd edit. 1894; a vivacious tale of Indian life and manners. 2, ‘Memoir of Viscount Keith of Stonehaven Marischal, Admiral of the Red,’ 1882 ; a trustworthy work. 3. ‘Balmoral, a Romance of the Queen's Country,’ 1893 ; a Jacobite tale. 4. ‘Earlscourt, a Novel of Provincial Life,’ 1894.
In 1888 he edited two works of rare value and interest (each in 2 vols. 8vo) : (1) the Ochtertyre MSS. of John Ramsay under the title of ‘Scotland and Scotsmen in the Eighteenth Century,’ and (2) ‘Letters from and to Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe’ [q. v.] Allardyce regularly wrote political and literary articles for ‘Blackwood's Magazine,’ and his skill in handling a short story is illustrated in the third series of ‘Tales from Blackwood.’ At the time of his death he was preparing the volume on Aberdeenshire for Messrs. Blackwood's series of county histories.
Allardyce was the son of James Allardyce, farmer, was born on 21 January 1846 at Tilly-minit, Gartly
Gartly
Gartly is an inland hamlet in Aberdeenshire, Scotland that is several miles south of the town of Huntly, and is situated on the River Bogie, a tributary of the River Deveron.-Sources:* in the Gazetteer for Scotland....
, parish of Rhynie, Aberdeenshire. Receiving his first lessons in Latin from his maternal grandmother (Smith, An Aberdeenshire Village Propaganda), he was educated at Rhynie parish school, Aberdeen Grammar School
Aberdeen Grammar School
Aberdeen Grammar School, known to students as The Grammar is a state secondary school in the City of Aberdeen, Scotland. It is one of twelve secondary schools run by the Aberdeen City Council educational department...
, and the University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
. In 1868 he became sub-editor of the 'Friend of India' at Serampore
Serampore
Serampore is a city and a municipality in Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority. It is a pre-colonial town on the right bank of the Hoogli River...
, Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. Lord Mayo
Richard Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo
Richard Southwell Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo KP, GMSI, PC , styled Lord Naas between 1842 and 1867, was a statesman and prominent member of the British Conservative Party from Dublin, Ireland....
appreciated him so highly that he offered him an assistant-commissionership, but he kept to journalism. He was on the 'Friend of India' till 1875, having apparently at the same time done work for the 'Indian Statesman.' In 1875 he succeeded John Capper as editor of the 'Ceylon Times,' and one of his early experiences of office was tendering an apology to the judicial bench for contempt (The Times, 25 April 1896). Returning to Europe, he was for a time at Berlin and afterwards in London, where he wrote for 'Fraser's Magazine,' the 'Spectator,' and other periodicals. In 1877 he settled at Edinburgh as reader to the house of Messrs. William Blackwood and Sons, and assistant-editor of 'Blackwood's Magazine.' He died at Portobello
Portobello
-Places:England* Portobello, West Midlands* Portobello Road, London* Portobellow, an estate in Wakefield, West YorkshireIreland* Portobello, Dublin, IrelandNew Zealand* Portobello, New ZealandPanama* Portobelo, PanamaScotland* Portobello, Edinburgh...
on 23 April 1896, and was buried in Rhynie parish churchyard, Aberdeenshire.
When comparatively young Allardyce married his cousin, Barbara Anderson, who survived him. There was no family.
Allardyce wrote: 1. ‘The City of Sunshine,’ 1877; 2nd edit. 1894; a vivacious tale of Indian life and manners. 2, ‘Memoir of Viscount Keith of Stonehaven Marischal, Admiral of the Red,’ 1882 ; a trustworthy work. 3. ‘Balmoral, a Romance of the Queen's Country,’ 1893 ; a Jacobite tale. 4. ‘Earlscourt, a Novel of Provincial Life,’ 1894.
In 1888 he edited two works of rare value and interest (each in 2 vols. 8vo) : (1) the Ochtertyre MSS. of John Ramsay under the title of ‘Scotland and Scotsmen in the Eighteenth Century,’ and (2) ‘Letters from and to Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe’ [q. v.] Allardyce regularly wrote political and literary articles for ‘Blackwood's Magazine,’ and his skill in handling a short story is illustrated in the third series of ‘Tales from Blackwood.’ At the time of his death he was preparing the volume on Aberdeenshire for Messrs. Blackwood's series of county histories.