Difference between revisions of "Cruden, Alexander"

Revision as of 14:27, 21 February 2014

Son of William and Isabel Pyper. Educated at Aberdeen grammar school and at Marischal College. Cruden left Aberdeen for London, working as a private tutor, then worked as a proof-corrector from 1726. At some point also worked as a tutor in the Isle of Man. By 1732 was once again working as proof-corrector and bookseller at Royal Exchange. Cranston began work on his celebrated 'Complete Concordance to the Holy Scriptures' in 1733 and presented to Queen Caroline (Nov 1737) days before her death; loss of royal patron led to financial difficulties and mental deterioration. Cranston was confined in Mr Wright's private madhouse in Bethnal Green in March 1738 but escaped after 9 weeks. He concentrated on proof correction until September 1753 when he became involved in a street brawl at Southampton Buildings, result was a seventeen-day confinement at Inskip's Asylum in Chelsea. Revised editions of the Concordance appeared in 1761 ensured that his work remained the most authoritative of its kind Cruden finally returned to Aberdeen in 1769 where he gave a public lecture and remained for about a year. On his return to London he lodged in Camden Street, Islington, where he was found dead on the morning of 1 November 1770; his preference was to be buried in the churchyard of St Nicholas's, Aberdeen, but was interred instead in the dissenters' burial-ground at Deadman's Place, Southwark.