Papers of Professor Andrew Brown

The papers of Andrew Brown consist of notes and papers on the history of North America during the War of Independence and including material on Indians, Nova Scotia and colonial history, and general miscellaneous material.

Andrew Brown was born at Biggar, Peeblesshire, in 1763. He was educated at Glasgow University then he entered the Church and was ordained minister of the Scottish Church in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1787. Brown returned to Scotland in 1795 and held charges in Lochmaben and at New Greyfriars and Old St. Giles' in Edinburgh. In 1801 he became Regius Professor of Rhetoric and Belles-Lettres at Edinburgh University, a post first offered to Sir Walter Scott who turned it down. His appointment proved to be a disaster however, for he was more interested in North American history than in literature and during his term of office the subject he was appointed to teach declined. He made no literary contribution and as a lecturer he was uninspired. Professor Andrew Brown died in 1834.

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An important finding aid is the alphabetical Index to Manuscripts held at Edinburgh University Library, Special Collections and Archives. Additions to the typed slips in sheaf binders were made until 1987.

The Index to Manuscripts shows references to letters of Professor Andrew Brown at La.II.453/2 and at La.IV.6/Chalmers/80-81.