Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Low, George
LOW, GEORGE (1747–1795), naturalist, son of John Low, ‘kirk officer, and Isabel Coupar, his spouse,’ of a yeoman's family, which had long occupied the farm of Meikle Tullo, near Brechin (Jervise, Epitaphs and Inscriptions, 1875, p. 310), was born at Edzell, Forfarshire, early in 1747, and baptised on 29 March in that year (parish register of Edzell). He was educated first at Marischal College, Aberdeen, and afterwards at St. Andrews University. A remarkable commonplace book, written by him while at St. Andrews, entitled ‘A Cabinet of Curiosities,’ and dated 1766, is still extant in manuscript.
Low went to Orkney in 1768 as tutor to the sons of Robert Graham of Stromness, and he devoted the whole of the remainder of his life to the study of the natural history and antiquities of the island and archipelago. He commenced by careful observations of the birds and fishes, and also of the flora of the island, but embraced with especial ardour the study of microscopy, as it was then understood. He constructed a ‘water microscope’ (still preserved) with his own hands, and commenced in 1769 a series of ‘Microscopical Observations,’ illustrating his work with beautiful Indian-ink sketches. Isolated as he was from all direct communication with the scientific world, and possessing hardly any books, the zeal and penetration with which he conducted these pioneer studies can hardly be over-estimated. He also set to work about 1770 upon a ‘History of the Orkneys,’ in which he contemplated embodying accounts of the history and antiquities, as well as of the natural history and topography of the islands, and for this purpose translated Torfæus's ‘History of Orkney.’ Low was licensed as minister by the Presbytery of Cairston in 1771, but remained for two years longer at Stromness.
In 1772 Sir Joseph Banks [q. v.] visited the Orkneys on his return from Iceland, in company with Dr. Daniel Solander [q. v.] and Dr. James Lind [q. v.] By them Low was introduced to George Paton of Edinburgh, who lent him books, and to Pennant, with whom he commenced a learned correspondence, and from whom his antiquarian studies derived an important stimulus. In 1774 he made, at Pennant's expense, an extended tour of the south islands of Orkney and the whole of the Shetland group, and sent the great antiquary some materials for the last volume of his ‘Tour in Scotland.’ At the close of this year he was presented to the parish of Birsay and Harray, on the mainland of Orkney, by Sir Laurence Dundas. He was for some time subsequent to his instalment occupied in writing, with a view to publication, an exhaustive account of his tour, which dealt with the commerce, the population, and language, as well as with the archæological and other records of the islands. In the seclusion of Birsay he also completed his ‘History,’ together with his accounts of ‘Fauna’ and ‘Flora’ respectively, of the islands of Orkney. In 1778, to complete his survey of the islands, he made a tour through the north isles of Orkney, the manuscript of which has been unfortunately lost. In 1781 he became a corresponding member of the Scottish Society of Antiquaries. From this date until 1790 he was engaged in a succession of futile endeavours to get published the manuscripts of his various works, the value of which had been so repeatedly acknowledged. Though not published, his writings were extensively circulated, and received the impartial attention of every one who wrote on the subject. Gough introduced quotations from him into his ‘British Topography,’ and Pennant inserted, besides descriptions, several engravings from his drawings into his ‘Arctic Zoology.’ Dr. Samuel Hibbert [see Hibbert-Ware, Samuel], writing in 1822, managed with difficulty to cull some information respecting the earlier customs of Shetland ‘that had escaped the notice of those who had seen the work.’ The manuscript of his ‘History’ fell into the hands of Dr. Barry, ‘by whom it was laid under heavy obligations in compiling his work [‘The History of Orkney,’ 1805, 4to], and although he was indebted to it for the greater part of the appendix, in which he treats of the natural history of Orkney, he nowhere acknowledges his obligations to Low.’
Disappointed at the scant recognition of his labours, and embittered by the increasing coldness of Pennant and other friends, Low was in 1790 cut off from his favourite studies by an attack of ophthalmia, due to the assiduity with which he had pursued his microscopic researches, and became almost completely blind in 1793. He died on 13 March 1795, and was buried beneath the pulpit in Birsay Church. Low was an eloquent preacher, and greatly beloved by his flock, to whom, during a ministry of over twenty years, he only dispensed the sacrament on three occasions. Low married in 1775 Helen, only daughter of James Tyrie, minister of Stromness and Sandwick. She died on 2 Sept. 1776, after giving birth to a still-born child.
Most of the unfortunate naturalist's manuscripts fell into the hands of his friend and correspondent, George Paton, at whose death they were distributed. The ‘Fauna Orcadensis’ was published in 1813 by William Elford Leach [q. v.], who in his preface opines that as ‘an interesting and valuable addition to the natural history of the British Isles it will be more useful than the closet compilations of some of our modern zoologists.’ The ‘Flora Orcadensis’ seems to have disappeared. The ‘History,’ however, passed through the hands of Professor Trail into those of Dr. Omond, and the ‘Tour’ ultimately became the property of David Laing (1793–1878) [q. v.] of Edinburgh, by whom it was placed at the disposal of Mr. Joseph Anderson, who edited the ‘Tour’ of 1774, with an appendix of ancient documents and a valuable introduction, containing extracts from Low's correspondence, in 1879 (Kirkwall, 8vo). The remainder of his writings are still only available, in fragmentary form, in the works of his learned friends. The manuscript of the ‘Tour’ is now preserved in the library of the university of Edinburgh, and that of the ‘History of the Orkneys’ and several others are still in possession of the late Dr. Omond's representatives.
[Introduction to Anderson's Edition of the Tour, Peace and Son, Kirkwall, 1879 (Mr. Anderson has kindly revised the present article); Memoir prefixed to Fauna Orcadensis, 1813; Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, xvi. 390; Chambers's Biog. Dict. of Eminent Scotsmen, 1875, ii. 547; Chalmers's Biog. Dict.; W. B. B[laikie]'s List of Books and MSS. relating to Orkney and Zetland, 1847, pp. 6, 18; Tudor's Orkneys and Shetland, p. 85; Jervise's Land of the Lindsays, 1882, pp. 20–2; Literary Life of the late Thomas Pennant, 1793; Hibbert's Description of Shetland Islands, 1822; Patrick Neill's Tour in Orkney and Shetland.]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.186
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
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