Caricature of Blackie before the Greek class in The Strand.memorial to John Stuart Blackie in St Giles Cathedral, EdinburghJohn Stuart Blackie's grave, Dean Cemetery
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He was born in Glasgow, on Charlotte Street, the son of Kelso-born banker Alexander Blackie (d.1846) and Helen Stodart.[1][2] He was educated at the New Academy and afterwards at the Marischal College, in Aberdeen, where his father was manager of the Commercial Bank.[3]
After attending classes at Edinburgh University (1825–1826), Blackie spent three years at Aberdeen as a student of theology. In 1829, he went to Germany, and after studying at Göttingen and Berlin (where he came under the influence of Heeren, Müller, Schleiermacher, Neander and Böckh) he accompanied Bunsen to Italy and Rome. The years spent abroad extinguished his former wish to enter the Church, and at his father's desire he gave himself up to the study of law.[3]
He had already, in 1824, been placed in a lawyer's office, but only remained there six months. By the time he was admitted a member of the Faculty of Advocates (1834) he had acquired a strong love of the classics and a taste for letters in general. A translation of Goethe's Faust, which he published in 1834, met with considerable success, winning the approbation of Carlyle. After a year or two of desultory literary work he was (May 1839) appointed to the newly instituted Chair of Humanity (Latin) in the Marischal College.[4]
Difficulties arose in the way of his installation, owing to the action of the Presbytery on his refusing to sign unreservedly the Confession of Faith; but these were eventually overcome, and he took up his duties as professor in November 1841. In the following year he married. From the first his professorial lectures were conspicuous for the unconventional enthusiasm with which he endeavoured to revivify the study of the classics; and his growing reputation, added to the attention excited by a translation of Aeschylus which he published in 1850, led to his appointment in 1852 to the Professorship of Greek at Edinburgh University, in succession to George Dunbar, a post which he continued to hold for thirty years.[5]
He was somewhat erratic in his methods, but his lectures were a triumph of influential personality. A journey to Greece in 1853 prompted his essay On the Living Language of the Greeks, a favorite theme of his, especially in his later years; he adopted for himself a modern Greek pronunciation, and before his death he endowed a travelling scholarship to enable students to learn Greek at Athens.[5]
During J. S. Blackie's tenure of the Greek Chair, he taught Robert Louis Stevenson, and Stevenson would later write:
'Although I am the holder of a certificate of attendance in the Professor's own hand, I cannot remember to have been present in the Greek class above a dozen time. Professor Blackie was even kind enough to remark (more than once) while in the very act of writing the document above referred to, that he did not know my face.'[6]
Scottish nationality was another source of enthusiasm with him; and in this connection he displayed real sympathy with highland home life and the grievances of the crofters. The foundation of the Celtic chair at Edinburgh University was mainly due to his efforts. He raised almost all £12,000 needed for it.[7] In spite of the many calls upon his time he produced a considerable amount of literary work, usually on classical or Scottish subjects, including some poems and songs of no mean order.[5]
Blackie was a Radical and Scottish nationalist in politics, of a fearlessly independent type; possessed of great conversational powers and general versatility, his picturesque eccentricity made him one of the characters of the Edinburgh of the day, and a well-known figure as he went about in his plaid, worn shepherd-wise, over one shoulder and under the other, wearing a broad-brimmed hat, and carrying a big stick.[5] He was made the first chairman of the Scottish Home Rule Association.[8]
In the 1880s and 1890s, he lectured at Oxford on the pronunciation of Greek, and corresponded on the subject with William Hardie. In May 1893, he gave his last lecture at Oxford, but afterwards admitted defeat, stating: "It is utterly in vain here to talk reasonably in the matter of Latin or Greek pronunciation: they are case-hardened in ignorance, prejudice and pedantry".[9]
He died at 9 Douglas Crescent[1] in Edinburgh.[10] His death caused great mourning in the city.[7] He is buried in Dean Cemetery to the north side of the central path in the north section of the original cemetery. His nephew and biographer, Archibald Stodart Walker (1869-1934) is buried with him.
Before his death John Blackie gave more than 250 volumes of 19th-century Greek books on various subjects to the University of Edinburgh library.[7]
Blackie circa 1845 by Hill & Adamson.
Prof. Blackie, by John Moffat.
John Stuart Blackie, by Herbert Rose Barraud, Carbon Print, 1890.
John Stuart Blackie, by Elliott & Fry, Albumen Carte-de-visite, 1860s.
John Stuart Blackie, by John Moffat, Albumen Carte-de-visite on Paper Mount, 1860s.
Portrait of John Blackie, Cassell's National Portrait Gallery, circa 1880s.
Professor John Stuart Blackie, by Sir George Reid, 1893.
Bust of John Stuart Blackie, in 1835.
"From a Political Cartoon, 1880."
Professor Blackie, by Macara, 1877.
"The Professor at the Age of 45."
Blackie, by Sir George Reid, 1870.
John Blackie, by Somerled Macdonald.
Blackie, by John Henry Lorimer.
