Dates

• Existence: 1795 - 1811

Biography

William was the firstborn of Robert Anderson and Ann Lothian. His home was at 100 West Bow and then in Merchant Street, till the family moved to Lauriston Place in the summer of 1807, where William thought their new house had a very pleasant situation. As a young boy, he attended 'Gibbie's School', conducted by Mr Alexander Gib in Skinner's Close, off Castlehill, later going to different teachers, who each specialised in their own subject.

By the age of twelve, William was helping in his father's shops, 'North and South' as he described them, meaning the West Bow and Adam Square. At the same time, he continued his studies, probably going out to his teachers after his dinner at five o'clock. Besides the usual subjects, William had classes in dancing and drawing and learned to play the German flute. He was not very good at French, German, or Hebrew, but excelled at mathematics, and astronomy interested him, which was not surprising for his maternal grandfather was a teacher of mathematics.

William worked month about in the North and South shops, and in Adam Square he was under the clerk, Mr Shaw. At fourteen, he was baptised by Archibald McLean.

In February 1811, as one can read in the last entry of his diary, William entered the Edinburgh Institute. However, he died of illness nineteen day later.

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