Macvey Napier was a Scottish solicitor, legal scholar, and an editor of the Encyclopædia Britannica. He was Professor of Conveyancing at the University of Edinburgh.
Occupation
librarian, historian, editor, biographer
Citizenship
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Kingdom of Great Britain
Born
April 11, 1776
Died
February 11, 1847
Overview
Macvey Napier (born Napier Macvey) (11 April 1776 – 11 February 1847) was a Scottish solicitor, legal scholar, and an editor of the Encyclopædia Britannica. He was Professor of Conveyancing at the University of Edinburgh.
Life
Macvey was born on 12 April 1776 in Kirkintilloch the son of John Macvey a merchant in the town. His mother's maiden name was Napier.
He studied law first at the University of Glasgow then at the University of Edinburgh before befriending the publisher Archibald Constable in 1798. Constable later asked Napier to write for the Edinburgh Review with articles beginning from 1805 and became an editor in 1814. He in turn recruited several eminent authorities to write in the 6th edition and its supplement, as well as in the 7th edition of the Britannica. He was editor of the Review from 1829.
