{{Short description|Scottish Episcopal clergyman (1793–1872)}} {{for|the Australian zoologist|Edward Pierson Ramsay}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox person | name = Edward Ramsay | birth_date = 1793 | death_date = 1872 | occupation = Clergyman; author | known_for = Dean of Edinburgh; works on Scottish history and biography }} [[File:Edward Bannerman Ramsay.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Ramsay in the early 1860s]]
'''Edward Bannerman Ramsay''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|FRSE|LLD}} (17 January 1793– 27 December 1872), usually referred to as '''Dean Ramsay''', was a [[clergy]]man of the [[Scottish Episcopal Church]], and [[Dean (religion)|Dean]] of [[St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh (Episcopal)|Edinburgh]] in that communion from 1841, has a place in literature through his ''Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character'', which had gone through 22 editions at his death. It is a book full of the personality of the author, and preserves many traits and anecdotes.
==Life==
[[File:9 Darnaway Street, Edinburgh.jpg|thumb|7 Darnaway Street, Edinburgh]] [[File:Dean Ramsay's grave, St Johns.JPG|thumb|Dean Ramsay's grave, St John's]] [[File:Memorial to Dean Ramsay, St John's, Edinburgh.jpg|thumb|Memorial to Dean Ramsay, St John's, Edinburgh]]
Ramsay was born in [[Aberdeenshire]] on 31 January 1793, the fourth son of Elizabeth Bannerman and [[Ramsay baronets|Sir Alexander Ramsay]], Baronet of Balmain and [[Fasque House|Fasque]].<ref name="auto">{{cite web |title=Former Fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783 – 2002 |first1=C.D. |last1=Waterston |first2=A. Macmillan |last2=Shearer |publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh |date=2006 |url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116140212/http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf |archivedate=January 16, 2014}}</ref>
He spent much of his early life in [[Yorkshire]], attending the [[Durham School|Cathedral Grammar School]] in [[Durham, England|Durham]] from 1806.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.royal-mile.com/princes-st.gnds/dean-ramsay.html|title=Edinburgh-Royal Mile Princes Street Gardens- DEAN RAMSAY|website=royal-mile.com|access-date=2018-01-22|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304185723/http://www.royal-mile.com/princes-st.gnds/dean-ramsay.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> He then attended [[St John's College, Cambridge|St John's College]] at [[Cambridge University]], graduating in 1815.<ref>{{Acad|name=Edward Bannerman RAMSAY|id=RMSY811EB|access-date=29 October 2022}}</ref> He was then appointed curate of [[Selwood, Somerset|Rodden]] and of [[Buckland Dinham]], [[Somerset]]. In 1824 he came to Edinburgh to serve as curate to St George's on York Place before being appointed minister of [[St John's, Edinburgh|St John's Episcopal Church]] on [[Princes Street]] in 1830, where he then remained until death. This appointment followed the death of [[Daniel Sandford (bishop of Edinburgh)|Bishop Daniel Sandford]], founder of the church. His house from this period was a very large townhouse on the edge of the [[Moray Estate]], 7 Darnaway Street, only five minutes walk from his church through [[Charlotte Square]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://digital.nls.uk/83401443|title=Edinburgh Post Office annual directory, 1832-1833|website=National Library of Scotland|access-date=2018-01-22}}</ref>
In 1838 he formed a new branch of the church, thereafter known as the Scottish Episcopal Church Society. In 1841 he was elected Dean of the [[Diocese of Edinburgh]].
Over and above his religious activity he was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]] in 1827, his proposer being Sir [[David Brewster]]. He served as the Society's vice-president from 1859 to 1862.<ref name="auto"/>
He was also one of the founders of [[Glenalmond College]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/117448/details/edinburgh+west+princes+street+gardens+dean+ramsay+memorial/|title=Edinburgh, West Princes Street Gardens, Dean Ramsay Memorial {{!}} Canmore|website=canmore.rcahms.gov.uk|language=en|access-date=2018-01-22}}</ref>
He died at 23 Ainslie Place on the Moray Estate<ref>Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1865 etc</ref> in [[Edinburgh]] on 27 December 1872. His memorial service was led by Rt Rev [[Henry Cotterill]]. He was buried in the eastern enclosure attaching the church.
His public memorial, an imposing 7.3m high [[Celtic cross]] in [[Shap]] granite with bronze sculpted panels, is on [[Princes Street]] in the grounds of [[St John's, Edinburgh]], facing Charlotte Street. It was designed by the architect [[Robert Rowand Anderson]] and built by [[Farmer & Brindley]] of London. The bronze panels are by [[Francis Skidmore|F. A. Skidmore]]. It was erected in 1879.<ref>Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh, by Gifford McWilliam and Walker</ref>
==Legacy==
The Episcopal Church still runs a charitable trust, The '''Dean Ramsay Fund''', in his name.
==Publications==
He co-wrote ''Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character'' with his friend [[Cosmo Innes]].
==Family== His brother was [[Admiral Sir William Ramsay]] KSB (1798-1871).
He married Isabella Cochrane, daughter of [[Thomas Cochran (Nova Scotia politician)|Thomas Cochrane]], Speaker of the House of Representatives in Nova Scotia, in 1829. They had no children.
==Publications== [[File:Dean Ramsay Memorial - geograph.org.uk - 1325548.jpg|thumb|The Dean Ramsay Memorial on [[Princes Street]]]] *''A Catechism Compiled and Arranged for the Use of Young Persons'' (1835) *''The Christian's Almoner'' (1840) *''Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character'' (1857)
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{FadedPage|id=Ramsay, Edward Bannerman|name=Edward Bannerman Ramsay|author=yes}} * {{Gutenberg author |id=4391| name=Edward Bannerman Ramsay}} * {{Internet Archive author |sname=Edward Bannerman Ramsay}} * [http://anglicanhistory.org/scotland/ebramsay/ Bibliographic directory] from [[Project Canterbury]]
{{A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramsay, Edward Bannerman}} [[Category:1793 births]] [[Category:1872 deaths]] [[Category:Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge]] [[Category:Deans of Edinburgh]] [[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh]] [[Category:People educated at Durham School]] [[Category:19th-century Scottish non-fiction writers]] [[Category:Younger sons of baronets]]