Archibald Alison

Archibald Alison (13 November 175717 May 1839) was a Scottish Anglican priest and essayist.

Early life

He was born in Edinburgh, to Patrick Alison a Edinburgh magistrate, himself a younger son of an Alison of Newhall, near Coupar Angus.

After studying at the University of Glasgow, where he established his lifelong friendship with Dugald Stewart, he studied civil law at Balliol College, Oxford. He was ordained in the Church of England as deacon in 1779 and as priest in 1782. He was appointed in 1778 to the curacy of Brancepeth, near Durham. In 1784 he married Dorothea Gregory, youngest daughter of Professor John Gregory of Edinburgh. She had escaped an arranged marriage designed by her employer Elizabeth Montagu to marry her to her nephew and heir when she met Alison.

Career The next 20 years of his life were spent in England, where he held in succession the livings of High Ercall, West Lavington, Rodington and Kenley. From 1791 until his death, he held the title of Prebendary to Salisbury Cathedral.

In 1800 he moved back to Edinburgh, having been appointed senior incumbent of episcopalian St Paul's Chapel in the Cowgate. For 34 years he filled this position with much ability; his sermons were characterised by quiet beauty of thought and grace of composition. His preaching attracted so many hearers that a new and larger church was built for him.

In 1832 he was living at 44 Heriot Row in Edinburgh's city centre. His last years were spent at Colinton near Edinburgh, where he died on 17 May 1839.

Works

Alison published, besides a Life of Lord Woodhouselee, a volume of sermons, which passed through several editions, and a work entitled Essays on the Nature and Principles of Taste (1790), based on the principle of association of ideas.