author
James Aikman
d. 1860
A 19th-century Scottish bookseller, historian, and poet, he wrote vividly about Scotland’s past and the struggles of its religious history. His books mix patriotic feeling with a strong interest in the country’s people, beliefs, and traditions.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Bo’ness, West Lothian, in December 1779, he became a prominent figure in Edinburgh’s book world. He was apprenticed to the well-known bookseller Peter Hill and later ran his own business from Charles Street in Edinburgh. For a time, he also helped publish the Edinburgh Star with his brother Andrew.
He is best remembered for historical works including The History of Scotland, Annals of the Persecution in Scotland, and An Historical Account of Covenanting in Scotland. Bibliographic sources also note that he published poetry, and his writing has been described as strongly shaped by Scottish patriotic feeling. Alongside history, he also wrote for younger or general readers, including A Natural History of Beasts, Birds, and Fishes.
He spent much of his later life at Charles Street in Edinburgh, where census records place him with his sisters. He died there on May 21, 1860, and was buried in Dean Cemetery. I couldn’t confirm a reliable portrait from the sources I found, so no image is included.