Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Kinloch, George Ritchie
KINLOCH, GEORGE RITCHIE (1796?–1877), editor of ‘Ancient Scottish Ballads,’ was born at Stonehaven, Kincardineshire, about 1796, and became a lawyer. He was clerk to three successive advocates-depute, and at Stirling, in 1817 or 1818, he acted for an absent crown-agent. For several years he was secretary to Scott's friend, George Cranstoun, Lord Corehouse, enjoying also the friendship of Lord Colonsay. Appointed in 1842 assistant-keeper of the register of deeds in Edinburgh Register House, he became head of his department in 1851, and retired in 1869. A noted philanthropist, Kinloch was for many years treasurer of the Patterson and Pope fund for relief of deserving poor. Dr. Jamieson, in the preface to the supplementary volume of his ‘Scottish Dictionary,’ 1825, acknowledged indebtedness to him for valuable help. Kinloch died at Edinburgh, 19 April 1877.
In 1824 Kinloch projected, without publishing, a ‘Collection of Scottish Proverbs.’ In 1827 appeared his ‘Ancient Scottish Ballads, recovered from Tradition, and never before published.’ This collection fully deserves the commendation given to it by Scott in ‘Border Minstrelsy,’ i. 83. A miscellaneous ‘Ballad Book’ of little value, issued the same year, was reprinted in 1885. For the Maitland Club Kinloch edited, in 1830, Dr. Archibald Pitcairne's very droll and whimsical production, ‘Babell; a Satirical Poem on the Proceedings of the General Assembly in 1692;’ and the ‘Chronicle of Fife, being the Diary of Mr. John Lamont of Newton, 1649–1671.’ In 1848 he published ‘Reliquiæ Antiquæ Scoticæ.’
[Scotsman newspaper of 21 April 1877; information from Mr. Thomas G. Stevenson, Edinburgh, and Mr. James O. M'Laren, Helensburgh.]