William Guthrie (historian) facts for kids
William Guthrie (born 1708, died 1770) was a Scottish writer and journalist. He is mostly remembered today as a historian.
Contents
About William Guthrie's Life
William Guthrie was born in a place called Brechin, in Scotland, in 1708. His father was a leader in the Scottish Episcopal Church, which is a type of church in Scotland.
Early Education and Career
William went to Aberdeen University. He planned to become a schoolteacher in a local church school. But in 1730, he moved to London and decided to try being a writer instead.
Working as a Writer
One of William Guthrie's first jobs was writing about important discussions happening in the British government. These discussions were called "parliamentary debates." He wrote for a magazine called Gentleman's Magazine. Another famous writer, Samuel Johnson, even helped him improve his reports.
Over time, William became well-known for his political writing. In 1745, the government, led by a group called the Pelham administration, started paying him money every year. This payment was called a "pension," and it was £200 a year. This was a lot of money back then! He continued to receive this payment from later governments too.
William Guthrie passed away on March 9, 1770. He was buried in a place called Marylebone in London.
William Guthrie's Books and Writings
William Guthrie wrote many different books during his life. He was very busy!
History Books
One of his first big history projects was a book called History of England from the Invasion of Julius Cæsar to 1688. This book came out in four parts between 1744 and 1751. He tried to write history by looking at official government records.
In 1763, he published Complete List of the English Peerage. This book was about the noble families in England. Later, between 1764 and 1767, he worked with other writers on a huge project called A General History of the World, from the Creation to the Present Time. This was a massive book series with twelve volumes!
He also wrote A General History of Scotland, which came out in 10 volumes in 1767.
Other Important Works
Perhaps William Guthrie's most famous book was his Geographical, Historical, and Commercial Grammar. It was published in 1770 and was very popular. It was even translated into French in 1801. This book combined geography, history, and information about trade.
Besides his history and geography books, William Guthrie also translated works from ancient writers like Quintilian and Cicero. He even wrote a novel called The Friends (1754) and a book about plays called Remarks on English Tragedy (1757).
