James Melvin

Dr James Melvin LLD (1795–1853) was a 19th-century Scottish scholar of Latin. He gathered a huge library and was the foremost Latin scholar of his day in Scotland. Life He was born on 21 April 1795 in Aberdeen to poor parents. He was educated at Aberdeen Grammar School under the rectorship of Cromar. He won a bursary to Marischal College, University of Aberdeen, and graduated MA in 1816. He worked as a Latin tutor at a private school owned by Mr Bisset at Udny, then at Old Aberdeen Grammar School under Ewen Maclachlan. In 1822 he became Classics master at Aberdeen Grammar School and in 1826 succeeded Cromar as Rector. He also lectured on Humanity at Marischal College who awarded him an honorary doctorate (LLD) in 1834. His pupils included David Masson who later compared Melvin to the inspirational Thomas Arnold. Despite this he twice failed in his candidacy for Professor of Latin in Marischal College.