Hugh Blair of Borgue

Hugh Blair (1708 – 1760s)[1] was a laird from Borgue in Kirkcudbrightshire.

Hugh was the oldest son of David Blair and Grizell Blair.[2] Hugh had three siblings—a young brother John and two sisters. Hugh's father had died in 1716.[3]

In 1737, Hugh's younger brother John became his legal guardian ('curator'). In 1746, Blair married a surgeon's daughter named Nicholas [sic] Mitchell. In 1748, his brother (and guardian) John successfully sought to have the marriage annulled by the Commissary Court of Edinburgh.[1][4]

Hugh was alleged to have engaged in a number of unusual behaviours including:

  • Collecting bird feathers, twigs, and pieces of cloth.
  • Always wearing the same piece of clothing.
  • Requesting the same seat in church and engaging in repetitive acts.
  • Attending every nearby burial, regardless of whether he knew the deceased.
  • Making unannounced visits to others and being oblivious to social cues.

Modern writers have speculated that records of Hugh Blair might be consistent with a modern diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.[1][4]

References
  1. Rab Houston; Uta Frith (2000) Autism in History: The Case of Hugh Blair of Borgue, Blackwell, Malden, MA ISBN 978-0-63122-088-6
  2. Look Inside: Autism in History: The Case of Hugh Blair of Borgue at Amazon.com
  3. William Long (August 18, 2006). "Autism in History". Archived from the original on October 29, 2013.
  4. Rab Houston and Uta Frith. Autism in History: The Case of Hugh Blair of Borgue. Oxford: Blackwell, 2000
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