William Edmondstoune Aytoun, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

William Edmondstoune Aytoun

British writer and lawyer

Date of Birth: 21-Jun-1813

Place of Birth: Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

Date of Death: 04-Aug-1865

Profession: judge, writer, lawyer, poet, translator, university teacher, novelist, linguist

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

William Edmondstoune Aytoun FRSE (21 June 1813 – 4 August 1865) was a Scottish poet, lawyer by training, and professor of rhetoric and belles lettres at the University of Edinburgh.
He published poetry, translation, prose fiction, criticism and satire and was a lifelong contributor to the Edinburgh literary periodical Blackwoods Magazine.
He was also a collector of Scottish ballads.
In the early 1850s, Professor Aytoun lent his name as a supporter of the fledgling National Association for the Vindication of Scottish Rights.
His distinctive legacy as a teacher has led to him being called the 'first modern professor of English Literature'.