Robert Macfarlan (schoolmaster) facts for kids

Robert Macfarlan (also spelled Macfarlane) (1734–1804) was a Scottish schoolmaster, writer, journalist, and translator. He was known for his many books and articles during his lifetime.

Life Story

Macfarlan studied at the University of Edinburgh, where he earned his Master of Arts degree. Later, he moved to London and for many years ran a successful school in Walthamstow, Essex. His school was called Shern Lodge, and he operated it from about 1770 until 1795. One of his students was a famous writer named Robert Plumer Ward.

Macfarlan also worked as an editor for newspapers like the Morning Chronicle and the London Packet. He was very good at remembering things. He could recall and write down important speeches given in the British Parliament, especially during the time of Lord North's government. These speeches often discussed the American War of Independence. In 1792, a group called the Highland Society of Scotland hired him to teach Scottish Gaelic, an old language spoken in Scotland.

Sadly, Robert Macfarlan died on August 8, 1804. He was at Hammersmith during an election event in Brentford when he accidentally fell under a carriage.

His Writings

Robert Macfarlan was hired by a publisher named Thomas Evans to write a book called History of the Reign of George III. The first part of this history came out in 1770. However, Macfarlan and Evans had a disagreement, so Evans hired another writer to finish the book. The second part was published in 1782, and the third in 1794.

Later, Macfarlan and Evans became friends again. Macfarlan wrote the fourth part of the history in 1796. This part received some harsh reviews from critics. Macfarlan defended his work in a follow-up book called Appendix, or the Criticks Criticized in 1797. In his history, he wrote openly about King George III's mental health, which was quite unusual for that time.

Translating Old Poems

Macfarlan also translated the poems of Ossian into Latin. Ossian was a legendary ancient Scottish poet. Macfarlan published the first book of Temora (one of Ossian's poems) in Latin in 1769. When he died, he was working on a big collection of Ossian's poems. This collection was later published by the Highland Society of London in 1807. It included the original Gaelic poems, a Latin translation, and essays about whether the poems were real.

He also translated Benjamin Franklin's famous book The Way to Wealth into Gaelic. This translation was published in 1785. In 1795, Macfarlan created a useful book called A New Alphabetical Vocabulary, Gailic and English, which helped people learn Gaelic words.

Other Important Works

In 1797, Macfarlan published An Address to the People of the British Empire on Public Affairs, sharing his thoughts on current events. In 1799, he translated a Latin book by George Buchanan called Dialogue concerning the Rights of the Crown of Scotland. This book discussed important ideas about how a country should be governed.

Macfarlan's translation of Buchanan's work was important because it connected to the political ideas of the French Revolution happening at the time. Macfarlan believed Buchanan was a very important thinker in modern European politics. Some critics, however, thought his translation had "dangerous" ideas.