Alexander Geddes (1737-1802) was born at Arradowl, the parish of Rathven, Aberdeenshire, on 4 September 1737, the son of Alexander Geddes and Janet Mitchel, tenant farmers on the large Gordon estates in the Banffshire district. He is known primarily as a biblical scholar and a Latin, Scots, and English-language poet. His parents were staunch Roman Catholics, and their son was raised to revere both learning and, somewhat surprisingly, the King James Bible. Since only a few books were available in the home, the Bible became a central focus for encouraging a love of language, history, and organized religion. His early schooling began with the sons of local gentry and their tenants who were fortunate in their first teacher, a King’s College, Aberdeen student James Shearer, but due to the…

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Citation: deGategno, Paul J.. "Alexander Geddes". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 26 October 2016 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=13798, accessed 31 October 2024.]

13798 Alexander Geddes 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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