William Keith Leask

W. Keith Leask (16 April 1857 – 2 May 1925) was a writer and a classics lecturer at the University of Aberdeen. He wrote several biographies and works in classics.

William Keith Leask
Born16 April 1857
Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
Died2 May 1925 (age 68)
Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
Pen nameW. Keith Leask
OccupationWriter, biographer, historian, lecturer
NationalityScottish
GenreNon-fiction, biography, history, classics

Biography

Leask was born in the parish of Old Machar[1] in Old Aberdeen on 16 April 1857. He was the son of James Leask who attended King's College, Aberdeen 1844-6 and was an advocate in Aberdeen.[2] His mother was Mary Ann Allan. Leask attended Aberdeen Grammar School and graduated M.A. at the University of Aberdeen in 1877. He then studied at the University of Oxford and graduated first class Class. Mods. at Oxford in 1879 and second class Litt. Hum. in 1881.[3] He was employed by the University of Aberdeen as assistant to W D Geddes, Professor of Greek from 1882 to 1887.[4] He returned to Oxford from 1889 to 1894 but was not offered a permanent post.[5] Blair, in his Obituary of Leask, suggests that he should have gone to London and devoted himself to journalism.[6] But Leask returned to Aberdeen and earned his living by writing books and articles for newspapers such as the Glasgow Herald. He died of heart disease at his lodgings at 82 Union Grove, Aberdeen on 2 May 1925. Leask was not married.[7]

Published works

Sources
  • www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
  • Roll of the Graduates of the University of Aberdeen, 1860–1900. Aberdeen: Aberdeen University Press, 1906
  • University Calendar of Aberdeen University, available at Special Libraries and Archives, Library and Historic Collections, University of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen AB34 3SW
  • P. J. Blair, 'William Keith Leask' [Obituary], The Aberdeen University Review, Volume XII, 1924–25. Aberdeen University Press, 1925, pp. 231–8, available at Special Libraries and Archives, Library and Historic Collections, University of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen AB34 3SW
  • www.bl.uk

References
  1. Old Machar
  2. P. J. Blair, 'William Keith Leask' [Obituary], The Aberdeen University Review, Volume XII, 1924-5. Aberdeen University Press, 1925, p. 231
  3. Information in the Roll of the Graduates of the University of Aberdeen, 1860–1900. Aberdeen: Aberdeen University Press, 1906 , p. 282
  4. Information from the University Calendar of Aberdeen University, supplied by Special Libraries and Archives, Library and Historic Collections, University of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen AB34 3SW.
  5. Obituary in The Aberdeen University Review, p. 236
  6. Obituary
  7. Birth and death information sourced from records held by the General Register Office for Scotland and accessed through the Scotlandspeople internet site
  8. This list of books is compiled by reference to the British Library online catalogue and other online library catalogues.
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