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 CRUDEN,
ALEXANDER, styled by himself, Alexander the Corrector, was born at
Aberdeen on the 31st of May, 1700; the son of a respectable
merchant and baillie of that city. Having received a good elementary
education, he entered Marischal college, with the intention of studying
for the church. He there made considerable progress in his studies, and
had the degree of Master of Arts conferred upon him, when decided symptoms
of insanity appeared. His malady has been absurdly ascribed to the bite of
a mad dog, and, with more probability, to a disappointment in love. At all
events it is certain, that he became so unreasonably importunate in his
addresses to the daughter of one of the clergymen of Aberdeen, that it was
found necessary to put him under restraint. This lady, however, it
afterwards appeared was unworthy of the devotion he paid her, and there is
a very interesting anecdote of his meeting her many years afterwards in
London, where she had hid herself after flying from Aberdeen. On his
release from confinement, in 1722, he left the scene of his
disappointments, and repairing to England, found employment as tutor for
many years in a family in Hertfordshire, and afterwards in the Isle of
Man. In the year 1732, he settled in London, where he was employed by Mr
Watts the printer as corrector of the press; he also engaged in trade as a
bookseller, which he carried on in a shop under the Royal Exchange. Having
gained the esteem of many of the principal citizens of London, he was, on
the recommendation of the lord mayor and aldermen, appointed bookseller to
the queen.
Soon after Cruden’s
arrival in London, he had commenced his elaborate work called the
Concordance of the Bible; and having, after inconceivable labour, finished
it, he had the honour of dedicating the presenting it to queen Caroline,
the consort of George II., who graciously promised to "remember
him;" but, unfortunately for him, she died suddenly a few days after.
Involved in embarrassments by the expense of publishing his Concordance,
and by his neglect of business while he was compiling it, he abandoned his
trade, and sank into a state of melancholy despondency. His former mental
illness now returned upon him with increased violence, and he was guilty
of so many extravagances, that his friends were obliged to place him in a
private lunatic asylum. On his recovery he published a lengthened account
of his sufferings, under the title of "The London Citizen exceedingly
injured; giving an account of his severe and long campaign at Bethnal’s
Green, for nine weeks and six days; the Citizen being sent there in March,
1738, by Robert Wightman, a notoriously conceited whimsical man; where he
was chained and handcuffed, strait-waist-coated and imprisoned; with a
history of Wightman’s blind bench, a sort of court that met at Wightman’s
room, and unaccountably proceeded to pass decrees in relation to the
London Citizen," &c. &c. He also instituted legal proceedings
against his physician and this Mr Wightman, the proprietor of the asylum,
for cruelty. He was not able, however, to substantiate his charge,
although there is much reason to fear, that, in pursuance of the treatment
to which lunatics were at that time subjected, Cruden was harshly dealt
with; which seems to have been the less excusable as he appears to have
been at all times harmless.
Thanks to
Helen Glover for sending in
pictures of the Cruden Bible
The next fifteen years of
his life were passed by him apparently in a state of inoffensive
imbecility, although his former employers did not consider him incapable
of continuing corrector of the press. In the year 1753, his relations
conceived themselves justified in again putting him under restraint; but
as he was perfectly inoffensive he was only confined for a few days. On
his liberation he insisted that his sister, Mrs Wild who sanctioned these
proceedings, should consent to a species of retributory reconciliation
with him, and submit to a confinement of forty-eight hours in Newgate, and
pay him a fine of ten pounds. Her rejection of this proposal was a matter
of great surprise to him, and he therefore brought an action of damages
against her and others, laying his claim at ten thousand pounds. On the
verdict being returned for the defendants, he was quite resigned; but
published an account of his ill usage, under the title of "The
Adventures of Alexander the Corrector," which, like all his other
publications of a similar description, has that air of mingled insanity
and reason which its title indicates, and which pervades other works by
him on similar topics. His insanity now displayed itself in many ways
sufficiently whimsical. Fully persuaded that he was commissioned by heaven
to reform the manners of the age, he assumed the title of Alexander the
Corrector. To impress the public with the validity of his pretensions
he printed and circulated on small pieces of paper, sentences confirmatory
of his high calling, such as that "Cruden was to be a second Joseph,
to be a great man at court, and to perform great things for the spiritual
Israel of Egypt." He went about the country exhorting the people to
reform their manners and to keep holy the Sabbath day. In order that his
exhortations might have greater weight with his hearers, he wished his
authority to be recognised by the king and council, and that parliament
should constitute him by act, "the Corrector of the People." Still
further, to assist him in his mission, he made a formal application to his
majesty, to confer on him the honour of knighthood; "for," said
he, "I think men ought to seek after titles rather to please others
than themselves." He gives an amusing account of his attendance at
court while soliciting this honour, and of his frequent interviews with
the lords in waiting, the secretaries of state, and other persons of rank;
and complains grievously that his applications were not attended to. From
his censure, however, he exempts the earl of Paulet, who, he says,
"spoke civilly to him; for, being goutish in his feet, he could not
run away from the Corrector as others were apt to do." Wearied, at
length, by his unavailing attendance at court, he next aspired to the
honour of representing the city of London in parliament, and was a
candidate at the general election of 1754. His addresses to the livery
were singularly ridiculous, but he was withheld by no discouragement; for,
when one of the bishops, with whom he had obtained an interview, intimated
to him that he had no chance of the election, unless Providence especially
appeared for him. "This," he said in his account of the
interview, "the Corrector readily acknowledged:" and indeed in
his addresses he mentioned that he expected a Divine interposition in his
favour. After his failure in this pursuit, he consoled himself with the
reflection, "that he had their hearts, although their hands had been
promised away." "The Corrector," he adds, "was
very cheerful and contented, and not at all afflicted at the loss of his
election."
Cruden, as a lover, was
remarkably susceptible, and no less zealous in the pursuit of the objects
of his admiration, than in his attempts to attain political distinction.
Amongst others, Miss Abney, the daughter of Sir Thomas Abney, the late
lord mayor of London, was persecuted by his addresses. She, of course,
discountenanced this folly, and the result was, what her admirer styled,
"his declaration of war," being a lengthened memorial, wherein
he rehearses his manifold grievances, and declares, that, since she had
refused all his more reasonable overtures, he was now determined to carry
on the war after an extraordinary manner, "by shooting of great
numbers of bullets from his camp; namely, by earnest prayers to heaven,
day and night, that her mind may be enlightened and her heart
softened.". This, and all his other absurdities, had their rise in
the desire to increase his own importance and wealth, by which he expected
to render himself more powerful and effective in the execution of his
imaginary mission for the reformation of the manners of the age. In 1754,
he was employed as corrector of the press, by Mr Woodfall, the well-known
publisher of Junius’ Letters; and, although his labours seldom
terminated before one in the morning, yet he would be found again out of
bed by six o’clock, busily employed turning over the leaves of his
Bible, and with the most scrupulous care amending and improving his
Concordance, preparatory to a new edition. In this drudgery he would
patiently work until the evening, when he repaired to the printing office.
The benevolence which
animated Cruden’s exertions for the benefit of his fellow-creatures was
most disinterested and unwearied; and as far as his advice or money went,
he aided all who were miserable or in distress. In the year 1762, he was
the means of saving the life of a poor sailor condemned for forgery:
having been present at the trial, he became persuaded that the accused had
been the dupe of one more designing than himself, and, as he afterwards
found him to be simple, and even ignorant of the nature of the crime for
which he was condemned to suffer; he importuned government so unceasingly,
that at last he succeeded in getting the punishment commuted into
banishment. On another occasion he rescued a wretched female from the
streets, and received her into his house; and, having instructed her in
her duties, she remained in his service until his death. Next to the
desire of doing good, loyalty seems to have been the most, prominent
feature in Cruden’s character. In the political struggle between Mr
Wilkes and the administration he wrote a pamphlet against the Rabble’s
Patriot, and went about with a spunge and rubbed from the doors and walls
of the metropolis the popular "No. 45."
In the year 1769, Cruden
once more visited the scenes of his youth, where he was received with
considerable respect, and was allowed the use of one of the public halls
to deliver a lecture on the necessity of a reformation of manners, and of
keeping holy the Sabbath day. Having remained about a year in Aberdeen, he
returned to London, and soon after, having complained for a few days
previous, he was found dead in his closet, in the pious attitude of
prayer. He died at his lodgings in Camden Street, Islington, 1st of
November, 1770, in the 71st year of his age. Never having been married, he
left his moderate savings among his relations, with the exception of
£100, which he bequeathed to endow a bursary in Marischal college,
Aberdeen, and some other trifling legacies for charitable purposes in the
metropolis. Cruden was remarkable for the courteous affability of his
manners, his active benevolence, and his pious devotion. His published
works are "The history of Richard Potter," 8vo, being
that of the poor Sailor whose life he saved. "The history and
excellency of the Scriptures prefixed to the compendium of the Holy Bible,
Aberdeen, 2 vols. 24mo. "An index to bishop Newton’s edition
of Milton’s Works;" an elaborate work only inferior to the
Concordance. "A Scripture-Dictionary," which was
published in Aberdeen soon after his death. Various pamphlets,
particularly those wherein he gives a detailed account of "His
adventures." These display some humour and much single-hearted
insanity. But his great work was his "Concordance of the Old and
New Testaments." This is a work of the most extraordinary labour,
and although it was not the first Concordance of the Bible, yet it affords
a wonderful instance of what individual industry may accomplish. The first
Concordance which was compiled, is said to have given employment to five
hundred monks, yet did Cruden by his own unassisted exertions produce one
infinitely more complete, elaborate, and accurate than had ever appeared,
and this not by copying from others, but by the most careful examination
and study of the Bible. It is satisfactory to know that the labour
bestowed on this work did not go unrewarded. Although the first edition
was for a long time unsuccessful, it was ultimately sold off, and in 1761,
thirty years after its publication, a second edition was called for, which
he dedicated to George III. who was graciously pleased to order him a
hundred pounds, and a third edition was published in 1769. For the second
edition the publishers gave Cruden five hundred pounds, and when the third
was called for, an additional present of three hundred pounds, besides
twenty copies on fine paper. An edition was published in 1810, under the
careful superintendence and correction of Mr David Bye, and in 1825, the
work had reached the 10th edition. Indeed so valuable and useful is this
work that it is now reckoned an indispensable part of every clerical
library.
You can view the
Concordance (93Mb) in a pdf file
which also includes an account of his life |
.jpg)
