Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/M'Diarmid, John
M'DIARMID, JOHN (1790–1852), Scottish journalist, born in 1790 at Glasgow, was son of the minister of the Gaelic Church there. After some education, mainly in Edinburgh, he became, at an early age, owing to his father's death, a clerk in the Edinburgh counting-house, whence he passed into the head office of the Commercial Bank, Edinburgh, remaining there till 1817. He devoted his leisure to study, attending several classes in the university, and for two years occupying his evenings as amanuensis to Professor Playfair, who gave him access to his classes and his library. He was a distinguished member of a college debating society, and of the Edinburgh Forum, a club that helped to train many good speakers, and he wrote some clever verses. He formed friendships with Scott, Wilson, Hogg, and Jeffrey—for whom he is said to have done some work in the 'Edinburgh Review.' On 25 Jan. 1817 he joined Charles Maclaren [q. v.] and William Ritchie in preparing the first number of the 'Scotsman' newspaper, and in the same month he removed to Dumfries to become editor of the 'Dumfries and Galloway Courier.'
M'Diarmid made himself familiar with the district in which his paper circulated, and became an authority on agriculture, besides writing for his columns descriptive sketches of his journeys. In 1820 he declined the editorship of the 'Caledonian Mercury' in Edinburgh, receiving at the same time an interest in the property of the 'Courier,' of which he became owner in 1837. An advocate of liberal measures, he specially interested himself in the poor. When in September 1832 Dumfries suffered heavily from cholera, M'Diarmid's appeal for a relief fund brought in 2,900l., which he skilfully distributed. He was the trusted adviser of Burns's widow in her latter days. He died of erysipelas at Dumfries, 18 Nov. 1862. His wife, Anne M'Knight of Dumfries, whom he married in 1819, predeceased him in 1850.
In 1817 M'Diarmid published Cowper's 'Poems,' with a Life, which went through several editions. In 1820 appeared the first volume of his 'Scrap Book,' consisting of selections and original contributions. A second series speedily followed, and both have been frequently reprinted. In 1823 he published the 'Vicar of Wakefield,' with memoir of Goldsmith. In 1825 he started the 'Dumfries Magazine,' which existed three years. In 1830 he reprinted 'Sketches from Nature' from the 'Courier,' and in 1832 he contributed to an 'Illustrated Picture of Dumfries' an account of the town and district. He also wrote a description of Moffat, and a life of William Nicholson (1782-1849) [q. v.] the Galloway poet.
[Dumfries and Galloway Courier, 30 Nov. and 7 Dec. 1852; Chambers's Eminent Scotsmen; Irving's Dict. of Eminent Scotsmen.]