Allen, John (1771-1843: historian and political writer)

John Allen was born at Redfoord, in the parish of Colinton, near Edinburgh, Scotland, on 3 February 1771 . He was apprenticed to an Edinburgh surgeon and in 1791 was awarded his MD from the University of Edinburgh.

He lectured on medical topics around Edinburgh and translated Cuvier's Introduction to the Study of the Animal Economy (1801). In private life he was known for his zeal in promoting the cause of political reform in Scotland, and through his sympathy with the principles of the Whig party and his knowledge of constitutional history, he was one of the select few to whom the plan of the Edinburgh Review was communicated by Jeffrey and his coadjutors.

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