BLAIR (John)

, an eminent chronologist, was educated at Edinburgh. Afterward, coming to London, he was for some time usher of a school in Hedge-lane. In 1754 he first published “The Chronology and History of the World, from the Creation to the year of Christ 1753; illustrated in 56 tables. In 1755 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society, and in 1761 of the Society of Antiquaries. In 1756 he published a 2d edition of his Chronological Tables; and in 1768 an improved edition of the same with the addition of 14 maps of Ancient and Modern Geography, for illustrating the Tables of Chronology and History; to which is prefixed a Dissertation on the Progress of Geography. In 1757 he was appointed chaplain to the Princess Dowager of Wales, and Mathematical Tutor to the Duke of York; whom he attended in 1763 in a tour to the continent, from which they returned the year after. Dr. Blair had successively several good church livings: as, a prebendal stall at Westminster, the vicarage of Hinckley, and the rectory of Burton Coggles in Lincolnshire, all in 1761; the vicarage of St. Bride's in London, in 1771, in exchange for that of Hinckley; the rectory of St. John the Evangelist in Westminster, in 1776, in exchange for the vicarage of St. Bride's; in the same year the rectory of Horton near Colebrooke, Bucks. Dr. Blair died the 24th of June, 1782.