His father was parochial schoolmaster at Gight for nearly fifty years.

He worked hard under the care of his father, who was a good Latin scholar.

He gained a bursary at Aberdeen, where he studied.

When he left college he became schoolmaster at Monymusk, where he wrote some pieces that attracted attention, and Sir Archibald Grant took him into the house, and allowed him the full use of a very fine library.

He made good use of this opportunity, and indeed became a fair scholar and theologian.