David Peacock ( – 3 August 1853) was a Scottish journalist, editor, author and historian. In 1849, he published the 632-page ''Perth: Its Annals and Archives'', which is regarded as a comprehensive account of the history of
Perth
Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
.
Born in
Forfar
Forfar (; , ) is the county town of Angus, Scotland, and the administrative centre for Angus Council, with a new multi-million-pound office complex located on the outskirts of the town. As of 2021, the town had a population of 16,280.
The town ...
, he moved to Perth "in the prime of his manhood", and lived there for over thirty years. He became known as a "highly esteemed, respectable, and useful citizen".
Shortly after arriving in Perth, he began working as the
Precentor
A precentor is a person who helps facilitate worship. The details vary depending on the religion, denomination, and era in question. The Latin derivation is ''præcentor'', from cantor, meaning "the one who sings before" (or alternatively, "first ...
of the East Parish Church, while also filling the role of the music teacher in the Burgh Seminary. He led the choir at Blair Church when
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
visited the
Duke of Atholl
Duke of Atholl, named after Atholl in Scotland, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland held by the head of Clan Murray. It was created by Queen Anne in 1703 for John Murray, 2nd Marquess of Atholl, with a special remainder to the heir male ...
in 1842.
He also worked as a reporter for the ''Perth Courier'' and, later, the ''Constitutional'', after it moved operations to Perth from
Dundee
Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...
. He succeeded George Buist as its editor.
In October 1847, Peacock retired from editing and was appointed to the Mastership of Perth's
King James VI Hospital
King James VI Hospital is an historic building in Perth, Scotland. Located on Hospital Street, it is a Category A listed building, built in 1750.
Two years later, he published ''Perth: Its Annals and Archives'', which was printed by William Belford of the Perth Printing Company.
Death
Peacock died on 3 August 1853, aged 65. He was interred in Perth's
Wellshill Cemetery
Wellshill Cemetery is a 19th-century cemetery in the Scottish city of Perth, Scotland, Perth, Perth and Kinross. Located on Feus Road, the cemetery is still operational and is under the control of Perth and Kinross Council.
History
The cemetery ...
. His widow erected a monument in his memory.
Bibliography
* ''Perth: Its Annals and Its Archives'' (Thomas Richardson, 1894)