Alexander Boswell This is Me

Education

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1. 1. Edinburghers

   www.edinburgh.org.uk/edc/edinb - [Cached]

   Published on: 6/12/2008   Last Visited: 6/12/2008

   Boswell, born in Edinburgh, was the son of Alexander Boswell, an advocate who some years later was elevated to the bench of the Court of Session and took the judicial title of Lord Auchinleck, after the family estate in Ayrshire.

2. 2. the.fair.maid.of.kent.en.wikimiki.org

   the.fair.maid.of.kent.en.wikim - [Cached]

   Published on: 2/22/2008   Last Visited: 2/22/2008

   His name has passed into the English language as a term (Boswell, Boswellian, Boswellism) for a constant companion and observer. Boswell is known for taking voluminous notes on the grand tour of Europe that he took as a young nobleman and, subsequently, of his tour to Scotland with Johnson. He also recorded meetings and conversations with eminent individuals belonging to The Club, including David Garrick, Edmund Burke, Joshua Reynolds and Oliver Goldsmith. His written works focus chiefly on others, but he was admitted as a good companion and accomplished conversationalist in his own right.
   
   Early life
   
   Boswell was born near St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh. He was educated at James Mundell's academy followed by a string of private tutors before being sent at the age of thirteen to the city's University by his father to study law. Upon turning nineteen he was sent to continue his studies at the University of Glasgow, where he was taught by Adam Smith. Whilst at Glasgow Boswell decided to convert to Catholicism and become a monk. Upon learning of this Boswell's father ordered him home, instead of obeying Boswell ran away to London. Boswell spent three months in London, where he lived the life of a libertine, before he was taken back to Scotland by his father. Upon returning Boswell was re-enrolled at Edinburgh University and was forced by his father to sign away most of his inheritance in return for £100 a year allowance. On July 30 1762 Boswell took his oral law exam, which he passed with some skill. Upon this success Lord Auchinleck decided to raise his son's allowance to £200 a year and allowed him to return to London. It was during this spell in London that Boswell met Johnson for the first time, on May 16 1763; the pair became friends almost immediately.
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   Boswell was eventually nicknamed Bozzy by Johnson.
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   It was around three months after this first encounter with Johnson that Boswell departed for Europe, with the initial goal of continuing his law studies at Utrecht University.
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   However, Boswell spent most of the next two and a half years travelling around the continent. During this time he met such people as Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and made a pilgrimage to Rome. Boswell also travelled to Corsica to meet one of his heroes, the independence leader Pasquale Paoli.
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   Boswell returned to London in February 1766, accompanied by Rousseau's mistress. After spending a few weeks in the capital he returned to Scotland to take his final law exam. He passed the exam and became an advocate. He practiced for over a decade (during which time he spent no more than a month every year with Johnson). Boswell married his cousin, Margaret Montgomerie, in November 1769.
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   Despite his relative literary success, with his accounts of his European travels, Boswell was an unsuccessful advocate and by the late 1770s he descended further and further into alcoholism and gambling addiction.
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   Two sons died in infancy; the other two were Alexander (1775-1822) and James (1778-1822).

3. 3. www.wikimirror.com

   www.wikimirror.com/James_Boswe - [Cached]

   Published on: 11/30/2007   Last Visited: 11/30/2007

   Boswell was born near St Giles CathedralA prominent feature of the Edinburgh skyline, St Giles Cathedral decorates the midpoint of the Royal Mile with its rounded hollow-crown tower.
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   While at Glasgow, Boswell decided to convert to CatholicismCatholicism has two main ecclesiastical meanings, described in Webster's Dictionary as: a) "the whole orthodox christian church, or adherence thereto;" and b) "the doctrines or faith of the Roman Catholic church, or adherence thereto."
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   Instead of obeying, Boswell ran away to LondonLondon - containing the City of London - is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major "world city". With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in the Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. Founded as Londinium, the capital of the Roman province of Britannia, it later rose to become the centre of the British Empire. Today it generates over 17% of the GDP of the UK's economy, the world's fourth largest, and is a major financia... [click for more].
   
   Boswell spent three months in London, where he lived the life of a libertineLibertine is the name given to certain political or social groups active in Europe in the 17th century. Libertinism was a form of freethinker philosophy, and was first derisively applied to a Dutch Anabaptist sect in the 16th century that rejected many of society's established mores, and advocated a community of goods and of women.... [click for more] before he was taken back to Scotland by his father. Upon returning, Boswell was re-enrolled at Edinburgh University and was forced by his father to sign away most of his inheritance in return for an allowance of £100 a year.
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   [click for more] Boswell took his oral law exam, which he passed with some skill. Upon this success, Lord Auchinleck decided to raise his son's allowance to £200 a year and allowed him to return to London. It was during this spell in London that Boswell met Johnson for the first time, on May 16May 16 is the 136th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (137th in leap years).
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   Boswell was eventually nicknamed Bozzy by Johnson.
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   It was around three months after this first encounter with Johnson that Boswell departed for Europe with the initial goal of continuing his law studies at Utrecht University Utrecht University (Universiteit Utrecht in Dutch) is a university in Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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   Boswell, however, spent most of the next two and a half years travelling around the continent. During this time he met such people as VoltaireFrançois-Marie Arouet (November 21, 1694-May 30, 1778), better known by the pen name Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, deist and philosopher....
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   Boswell also travelled to CorsicaCorsica (Corsican: Corsica; French: Corse) is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily, Sardinia, and Cyprus). It is located west of Italy, southeast of France, and north of the island of Sardinia.
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   Boswell returned to London in February 1766 Events January 1 - Bonnie Prince Charlie becomes the new Stuart claimant to the throne of Great Britain as King Charles III and figurehead for Jacobitism.
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   Boswell married his cousin, Margaret Montgomerie, in November 1769 Events Baron Wolfgang von Kempelen exhibits the "Mechanical Turk", a chess-playing machine May 14 - Charles III of Spain sends Spanish missionaries, who found California missions in San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Francisco and Monterey and begin the settlement of California.
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   Despite his relative literary success with accounts of his European travels, Boswell was an unsuccessful advocate. By the late 1770s he descended further and further into alcoholism and gambling addiction.
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   Two sons died in infancy; the other two were Alexander (1775-1822) and James (1778-1822).
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   Boswell also had at least two illegitimate children, Charles (1762-1764) and Sally (1767-1768?).
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   [click for more], Boswell moved to London to try his luck at the English bar, which proved even more unsuccessful than his career in Scotland. He also offered to stand for Parliament but failed to get the necessary support.