James Tytler

James Tytler (* possibly December 17, 1745 in Angus , Scotland ; † probably January 9, 1804 Salem ) was a Scottish pharmacist . He is considered the first balloonist in Great Britain and was editor of the second edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica (1778–1784).

Tytler was the son of a Presbyterian pastor in Scotland. Ultimately, he was not interested in a spiritual career; he learned unofficially to be a surgeon and pharmacist. He carried out these activities alongside writing, but was often poor.

In spite of the low literary achievements, he was hired in 1778 as editor of the second edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica , as successor to William Smellie . Tytler did an excellent job of doing this, and the results sold well, although reviews were mixed. He wrote some of the articles for the third edition and was perhaps briefly its first editor.

His interest in chemistry led him to ballooning, and in 1784 he became the first person in Great Britain to fly a hot air balloon . His fame did not last long after several attempts in front of an audience failed.

Tytler had to flee Edinburgh several times and then stayed in other Scottish places or in northern England. Sometimes he fled from creditors, sometimes from his wife's petition for divorce and the associated legal costs, and finally for political reasons: in 1793 the High Court convicted him of politically rebellious activities. So he berated officials and called for a tax boycott. He also criticized the right to vote according to property or property.

In 1795 Tytler emigrated to America. In Salem he worked as an editor of a magazine and sold medicine. On the evening of January 9, 1804, the notorious alcoholic left his house drunk and never returned home. The sea washed his body ashore two days later, presumably he was killed in an accident.

In a paper on the history of the early Britannica, the authors write that Tytler, as a social outsider, did a lot of wage writing and rarely came out of poverty. Yet he possessed many talents and has earned his place in the history of encyclopedia history.

literature

• Kathleen Hardesty Doig, Frank A. Kafker, Jeff Loveland and Dennis A. Trinkle: James Tytler's edition (1777-1784): a vast expansion and improvement. In: Frank A. Kafker, Jeff Loveland (eds.): The Early Britannica (1768-1803): the growth of an outstanding encyclopedia. Voltaire Foundation, Oxford 2009, pp. 69-155

supporting documents

1. ↑ Kathleen Hardesty Doig, Frank A. Kafker, Jeff Loveland and Dennis A. Trinkle: James Tytler's edition (1777–1784): a vast expansion and improvement. In: Frank A. Kafker, Jeff Loveland (eds.): The Early Britannica (1768-1803): the growth of an outstanding encyclopedia . Voltaire Foundation, Oxford 2009, pp. 69–155, here p. 155.