author
George Moir
1800–1870
A Scottish man of letters who balanced a legal career with wide-ranging literary work, he wrote on poetry, rhetoric, romance, and even magic and witchcraft. He also moved in important Edinburgh intellectual circles and was an early enthusiast of photography.
1 Audiobook
Magic and Witchcraft
by George Moir
About the author
Born in Aberdeen in 1800, he trained for the law after moving to Edinburgh and qualified as an advocate in 1825. Alongside his legal work, he built a strong reputation as a writer and critic, contributing to major periodicals and becoming known for his interest in German literature and translation.
From 1835 to 1840, he served as Professor of Rhetoric and Belles-Lettres at the University of Edinburgh. His writing ranged widely, including literary criticism and books such as Life of Schiller and Magic and Witchcraft, which shows the breadth of his curiosity.
He later held sheriff posts in Ross and Cromarty and then Stirlingshire. Remembered as an advocate, author, amateur artist, and early photographer, he was part of the lively cultural world of 19th-century Edinburgh until his death in 1870.