Hugo Arnot - (1749-86) - Historian
He was born on 8th December 1749 in Leith, the son of a
merchant named Pollock. Arnot changed his name in early life in order to take over his
mother's estate at Balcomo in Fife. He trained as an advocate but ill health forced him to
interrupt his studies and he turned to historical research and writing. He lived in Edinburgh
until his death on 20th April 1786. His most influential work is his meticulously researched
History of Edinburgh (1779), which remains a standard reference book. His other work of
importance is A Collection of Celebrated Criminal Trials in Scotland with Historical and Critical Remarks (1785).
Works: Juridica (1772); An Essay on Nothing (1776);
A Letter to the Lord Advocate of Scotland (1777);
The History of Edinburgh (1779);
A Collection of Celebrated Criminal Trials in Scotland with Historical and Critical Remarks (1785).
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