Thomas Blacklock

Gerard Lee McKeever (University of Stirling)

Ed. by Daniel Cook, University of Dundee
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.3: Scottish Writing and Culture, 400-present.
Vol. editors: Kate Ash-Irisarri (University of Edinburgh), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Gina Lyle (University of York), J. Derrick McClure (University of Aberdeen), Andrew Radford (University of Glasgow)

Dates

Born 1721
Died 1791

Places

Active in Scotland

Activities

Primary

Poet

Resources

Blacklock's Works

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Dr Thomas Blacklock (1721-1791) was a poet and man of letters born in Annan, Dumfriesshire. He suffered from smallpox as an infant and lost his eyesight. He studied at the University of Edinburgh and was eventually ordained as a minister in 1762. Blacklock’s blindness contributed to a rejection of him by the parishioners of Kirkcudbright. He received an annuity and relocated to Edinburgh, where he continued his literary career and ran a boarding house. His poetry went through a number of editions in his lifetime and he published a range of other work including sermons, translations and criticism. He is often remembered today for having played an instrumental role in the career of Robert Burns, influencing the young poet’s decision move to Edinburgh. The two would subsequently…

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2715 words

Citation: McKeever, Gerard Lee. "Thomas Blacklock". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 September 2016 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=13764, accessed 21 November 2024.]