The New International Encyclopædia/Pringle, Thomas

PRINGLE, Thomas (1789-1834). A Scottish poet, born at Blaiklaw, Teviotdale, Roxburghshire. He was educated at the University of Edinburgh. In 1811 he became clerk in the register office, Edinburgh, and with his friend, Robert Story, began writing clever satirical verse. A poem contributed to Hogg's Poetic Mirror (1816) resulted in a friendship with Scott. Helped by James Cleghorn, he edited Blackwood's Edinburgh Monthly Magazine (six numbers, April to September, 1817). Having quarreled with the publisher, he resigned, and Blackwood's Magazine (established October, 1817) took the place of the older periodical. In 1820, to better his fortune, Pringle sailed for South Africa, where he formed the settlement of Glen-Lynden, became librarian at Cape Town, founded an academy, and started a Whig newspaper and a magazine, both of which were suppressed by the Government. Returning to England (1826), he became secretary to the Anti-Slavery Society (1827). In his new position he displayed great energy. He died just as he was about to sail for South Africa, on December 5, 1834. Pringle's works comprise a collection of his early poems entitled Ephemerides (1828); African Sketches (1834), composed of poems inspired by South Africa and the “Narrative of a Residence in South Africa.” The latter volume contains “The Emigrants” and “A Farm in the Desert,” Pringle's finest poems. Editions by Conder (1835) and Ritchie (1838) contain biographical sketches.