IV. Account of John Roebuck, M. D. F. R. S, Edin. Com- 

 municated by Mr y^RDlNEy F. R. S. Edin. and Profejfor 

 of Logick in the Univerjity of Glafgow. 



{Read April ^. 1796.] 



DOCTOR John Roebuck was born at Sheffield in York- 

 fhire, in the year 171 8. His father was a confiderable 

 xnanufadturer and exporter of Sheffield goods, who, by his abi- 

 lities and induftry, had acquired a competent fortune. John, 

 his eldeft fon, the fubje(fl of this memoir, was intended, by his 

 father, for carrying on his own lucrative bufinefs at Sheffield ; but 

 was, from his early youth, irrefiflably attached to other purfuits, 

 more calculated to gratify his ambition, and give fuller play to 

 his powers. Notwithftanding this difappointment in his fa- 

 vourite obje(5l, his father had liberality enough to encourage his 



..rifing genius, and to give him all the advantages of a regular 



:,§dtication. 



After he had gone through the ufual courfe of the Gram- 

 mar-fchool at Sheffield, both his father and mother being ftrict 

 diffenters, they placed their fon, for fome years, under the tui- 

 tion of the Jate Dr Doddridge, who was, at that time, mafter 

 of an Acad,enfiy at; Northampton, and Kad juflly acquired high 



deputation aniong the diffenters, both as a divine and as an in- 

 {lru(5tor of youth. Under the Dodlor's care Mr Roebuck made 



, gr^at proficiency, and laid the foundation of that claffical rafte 



ai)d knowledge for which he was afterwards eminently diflrin- 



VoL, IV. (I) guifhed. 



