Alexander Crombie

The Rev Dr Alexander Crombie FRS (17 July 1762, Aberdeen – 11 June 1840, York Terrace, Regent's Park, London, England[1][2]) was a Presbyterian minister, schoolmaster and philosopher.

Alexander Crombie
Born(1762-07-17)17 July 1762
Aberdeen, Scotland
Died11 June 1840(1840-06-11) (aged 77)
York Terrace, Regent's Park, London, England, UK
Resting placeSt Marylebone Parish Church
NationalityBritish
OccupationPresbyterian minister, schoolmaster and philosopher
Spouse(s)
  • unknown
  • Jane Nory
    (
    m. 1798⁠–⁠1840)
Children
  • Alexander Crombie
  • Lewis Crombie
  • Mary Crombie
  • Jane Crombie
  • Thomas Crombie
  • William Crombie
  • Peter Crombie

Biography

He was born in Aberdeen.

He studied Divinity at Marischal College in Aberdeen under James Beattie, gaining a MA in 1778. He was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Aberdeen but instead became a teacher. In 1794 his college awarded him an honorary doctorate (LLD).[3]

He moved in the early 19th century to London, where he ran an academy in Highgate and 1796 to 1798 officiated at the Presbyterian Meeting House at Southwood Lane.

He then moved to be principal of a school in Greenwich, Kent, living in a large mansion purchased from Sir Walter James.

By 1822, he was resident in the fashionable Regent's Park area of London, but he inherited a substantial property in Scotland from his namesake cousin- Thornton Castle near Phesdo.

He died in York Terrace, London on 11 June 1840 and was buried at St Marylebone Church.

Family

Crombie was married at least twice:

By his first marriage, he had a son:

  1. Alexander Crombie (1784– ), a barrister-at-law of Lincoln's Inn[1]

He remarried, on 6 March 1798, at Cluny, Aberdeenshire, to Jane Nory (c. 1773–1859); the couple had children including:

  1. Lewis Crombie (1800–1880), a solicitor
  2. Mary Crombie (born 1802)
  3. Jane Crombie (1804–1846); married on 1 February 1823 at St George's, Hanover Square to Captain (later Rear-Admiral) Henry Algernon Eliot (son of Francis Perceval Eliot)
  4. Thomas Crombie (born 31 December 1806), a major in the 60th Regiment of Foot
  5. William Crombie (born 1808)
  6. Peter Crombie (born 2 January 1809)

Publications
  • A Defence of Philosophical Necessity (1793)
  • The Etymology and Syntax of the English Language Explained and Illustrated, 2 vols. (1802)
  • Gymnasium sive, symbola critica, 2 vols (1812)
  • Letters on the Present State of the Agricultural Interest Addressed to Charles Forbes, Esq. M.P. London (1816)
  • A Few Cursory Observations, in Reply to the Strictures of the Reverend Mr. Gilchrist in his Rational Grammar on a Treatise on English Etymology and Syntax. (1817)
  • A Letter to D. Ricardo, Esq. Containing an Analysis of his Pamphlet on the Depreciation of Bank Notes (1817)
  • Letters from Dr. James Gregory...with Replies (1819)
  • Clavis Gymnasii. Editioni tertiae accomodata, sive Exercitationes in symbolam criticam, partim, sicut in veteribus extant, datae, et partim a Rev. Alex. Crombie latine redditae. (1828)
  • Natural Theology; or Essays on the Existence of the Deity, and of Providence, on the Immateriality of the Soul, and a Future State, 2 vols (1829)
  • A Letter to Lieut. Col. Torrens, M.P. in answer to his Address to the Farmers of the United Kingdom (1832)
  • The Strike, or, A Dialogue between Andrew Plowman and John Treadle. (1834)
  • A Letter to Henry William Tancred, Esq, MP, on the Ballot (1837)
  • A Letter to George Grote, Esq., M.P. on the Ballot (1838)
  • Letters to W. E Gladstone (British Library Add 44356 ff 233, 237) (1839)
gollark: Well, you clearly like languages for bad reasons then.
gollark: The way I've actually seen wait groups used in practice is a way to wait until multiple tasks complete. This is a bodge for parallel for loops.
gollark: Why is it better in the core language?
gollark: Okay. Done, finished scrolling.
gollark: Not manual memory management or GCing.

References
  1. Obit in The Gentleman's Magazine - "He left 3 sons, Alexander Crombie, Esquire M.A. of Trinity College, Cambridge and a Barrister-at-Law of Lincoln's Inn, now resident at Phesdo House in Kincardineshire; Lewis Crombie, Esq, a Solicitor, and one of the Baillies of Aberdeen; Thomas Crombie, Esq, Major in the 60th Regiment on Foot, and one daughter, Jane, married in 1823 to Captain H.A. Eliot, R.N.", The Gentlemans Magazine
  2. GRO Register of Deaths: JUN 1840 I 164 MARYLEBONE
  3. https://archive.org/stream/fastiecclesiaesc00scot/fastiecclesiaesc00scot_djvu.txt
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