Alexander Nicoll facts for kids

Alexander Nicoll (1793–1828) was a very smart Scottish scholar. He was known for his important work with old books and manuscripts. He became a professor at Oxford University, teaching a language called Hebrew, in 1822.

A Young Scholar's Life

Alexander Nicoll was born in Monymusk, Scotland, on April 3, 1793. He was the youngest son of John Nicoll. He went to different schools, including Aberdeen grammar school. Later, he studied at Aberdeen University for two years, where he did very well.

In 1807, Alexander moved to Balliol College, Oxford, a famous college at Oxford University. He earned his first degree in 1811 and a master's degree in 1814.

In 1813, Nicoll started studying "oriental" languages. These are languages from the East, like Hebrew. Later, he got a job as a sub-librarian at the Bodleian Library in Oxford. This library has many ancient and rare books. In 1817, he became a church minister in Oxford.

In 1822, Alexander Nicoll became the Regius Professor of Hebrew at Oxford. This was a very important teaching job. He also became a canon at Christ Church, Oxford, which is part of the university and a cathedral. He received another special degree that same year.

Alexander Nicoll was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1826. This is a group of very important scientists and scholars. He sadly passed away on September 24, 1828, from a chest illness.

His Important Work

Alexander Nicoll's main work was creating detailed lists, called catalogues, of the old manuscripts in the Bodleian Library. These manuscripts were often written in oriental languages.

• In 1815, he published a part of a catalogue that listed oriental manuscripts.
• In 1818, he published a special note about a Samaritan-Arabic manuscript of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible).
• In 1821, he added a second part to a big catalogue of oriental manuscripts in the Bodleian Library. Other scholars also worked on this important project.

His Family

Alexander Nicoll was married twice. His first wife, Johanna Felborg, passed away shortly after they were married in 1816.

He then married Sophia. Her father, James Parsons, was also a scholar. Alexander and Sophia had three daughters.