was born at Drumsoy near Glasgow, 1665, and brought up to the law;
was born
at Drumsoy near Glasgow, 1665, and brought up to the
law; but seldom went to the bar, his taste being confined
to history and antiquities, in which he made very great
progress. He was appointed historiographer-royal of Scotland by queen Anne, and it was at that time thought that
no man ever deserved that place better. In 1706 he published, 8vo, “Memoirs of Scotland
” during the times of
the four regents, which has gone through two editions.
The “Peerage,
” and “History of the Stuart Family,
”
attributed to him in the last edition of this Dictionary,
belong to George Crawfurd, of whom we have no account;
but, perhaps, with more reason, the Biographia Dramatica
attributes to him two plays, “Courtship Alamode,
” Love at first Sight,
”