Alexander Leighton

Born in Dundee in 1800, he studied at Dundee Academy and later at the University of Edinburgh. Although he trained in medicine, his working life moved in a literary direction: sources describe him first working as a lawyer's clerk in Edinburgh and then building a career as a writer and editor.

He is most closely associated with Tales of the Borders, the well-known collection of Scottish stories that he edited and helped sustain for readers. He also published books including Curious Storied Traditions of Scottish Life, Mysterious Legends of Edinburgh, and the memoir Jeanie Deans, and How Her Story Turned Out.

Leighton died in 1874. Available sources confirm his importance as a Scottish man of letters and literary editor, but I could not confirm a suitable portrait image from the pages reviewed, so no author photo is included here.