Archibald Greig Cowie

Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia

Archibald Greig Cowie, Shetland sailor, journalist and author, was born on the 25th of June 1851 in Lerwick, the fourth son of Dr. John Cowie, and brother of Robert Cowie. Archibald went to live in London, nursing a grudge against his relatives in Shetland, whom he accused of disinheriting him. After an early career at sea he lived a "Bohemian" lifestyle for a time, with his Londonderry-born wife. In the 1880s he was briefly associated with the Orcadian A.W. Johnston in the latter's Udal League, and made some eccentric contributions in public debates. For a while he was editor of the Seaman's Union journal, but was sacked after publishing an extremely odd contribution about Shetland's ruling class. Cowie was the author of The sea services of the empire as fields for employment, with forewords by Frederick, first marquess of Dufferin and Ava, and Vice-Admiral D.H. Bosanquet, R.N. London, 1903. He died on the 9th of January, 1930, in Guernsey.