Background
Forsyth was born in Biggar, Lanarkshire, on 18 January 1766, the son of Robert Forsyth, a gravedigger, and Marion Pairman.
Forsyth was born in Biggar, Lanarkshire, on 18 January 1766, the son of Robert Forsyth, a gravedigger, and Marion Pairman.
Forsyth gained considerable popularity as a probationer, but with no influence, he grew tired of waiting for a parish. He tried to start a career in law, but met with resistance, possibly due to his humble origins. The fact that he was a licentiate of the Church was held as an objection to his being admitted to the Barometer
Refused by the Faculty of Advocates, he petitioned the court of session for redress.
The court ruled that to be admitted to the bar, Forsyth would have to resign his office of licentiate, but after he did so the Faculty continued to refuse his admission. With few prospects in the legal profession, Forsyth turned next to literature, and managed to make a living by writing for booksellers.
He contributed to the Encyclopædia Britannica from 1802 to 1803, including the "Agriculture", "Asia", and "Britain" articles He also tried poetry, politics, and philosophy, but with little success.
Finally he was able to obtain a fair practice at the bar, where his self-described "great fits of application" earned him some success.