James Burnett
1714-1799

James Burnett, Lord of Monboddo, was born in October 1714, at Monboddo of Scotland. He received his rudiments of education at the parish school of Laurencekirk. And then he studied at King’s College, Aberdeen. He graduated in 1729. He studied civil law and was admitted to the Scottish bar in 1738. In 1767, he “was raised to the bench by the title of Lord Monboddo.”(James Burnett)

James Burnett married Grace Farquharson and 3 children, two boys and a girl. His wife died early and his son and one of his daughters were cut off. In 1773, he published his work, “On the Origin and Progress of Language.” From 1779-1799, he continuously worked on his work “Ancient Metaphysics.” James Burnett died May 26, 1799. James’ book, The Origin and Progress of Language, ‘demonstrated how mankind had come to shed their primeval tails, and thus anticipated…Darwin’s evolutionary theories.’ (Burnett, James) James Burnett was an intelligent man who studied both Greek philosophy and civil law. He took an Aristotle view point both in his book on metaphysics and throughout life itself.