Alexander Ross

J. Derrick McClure (University of Aberdeen)

Ed. by J. Derrick McClure, University of Aberdeen
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.3: Scottish Writing and Culture, 400-present.
Vol. editors: Kate Ash-Irisarri (University of Edinburgh), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Arianna Introna (The Open University), Gina Lyle (University of York), J. Derrick McClure (University of Aberdeen), Andrew Radford (University of Glasgow)

Dates

Born 13 Apr 1699
Died 26 May 1784
Activity 1733-1784

Places

Born in Scotland
Active in Scotland

Activities

Primary

Poet

Other

Teacher/ Professor

Resources

Alexander Ross of Lochlee, schoolmaster and poet, was a modest and retiring man whose uneventful life was spent entirely in the hinterland of North-East Scotland; yet he is an important figure in the eighteenth-century revival of Scottish poetry, and stands at the fountainhead of the still-flourishing tradition of literature in the distinctive North-East dialect.

The frequent appearance of Ross as a family name in this area makes it difficult to identify references to the poet’s early life with certainty; but it appears that he was born into a farming family and received his education at the local parish school of Kincardine O’Neil. He obtained a bursary to study at Marischal College (one of two independent universities in Aberdeen, the other being King’s College) in 1714, graduated as M.A. four years later, and entered the profession...

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1656 words

Citation: McClure, J. Derrick. "Alexander Ross". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 11 January 2011 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3848, accessed 09 June 2026.]