John W. (John William) Cousin

John William Cousin was a British writer, editor, and biographer, born in 1849 in Scotland. He was the son of William and Anne Ross Cousin, and his mother was known as a hymn-writer.

Alongside his literary work, he was a fellow of the Faculty of Actuaries and served as secretary of the Actuarial Society of Edinburgh. That unusual mix of literary interest and exacting professional training seems to fit the reference works he became known for.

He is best remembered for A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature, published in 1910, a concise guide to authors and their works that remained useful long after his death in 1910. He also revised and introduced an edition of Longfellow's Evangeline.