Major, or MAIR, JOHN, was born near North Berwick, Haddingtonshire, about 1470. After receiving the elements of his education in Scotland, he studied at Oxford, Cambridge, and Paris. At Paris he first entered the college of Sainte-Barbe, and took his degree of Master of Arts in 1494. He next entered the college of Montaigu, the great stronghold of scholastic studies in the university of Paris, and in 1505 became Doctor of Theology. While continuing to reside in Montaigu he gave lessons in the scholastic logic and philosophy in the college of Navarre, and in these studies gained a reputation second to that of no teacher in Paris, and therefore in Europe. Besides teaching, Major wrote voluminous commentaries on Peter Lombard, which, though among the famous books of their time, were wholly out of touch with the true intellectual and religious movements of the 16th century. To this period of his life also belongs his combined history of England and Scotland, written in medieval Latin, but still of real value as a record of facts, and by reason of the independent judgment of its author.
In 1518 Major was regenting or teaching in the college of Glasgow, where he had John Knox among his pupils. In 1523 he left Glasgow for St Andrews, where he acted as regent in Arts at the Pædagogium of that university till 1525. At St Andrews he had among his students Patrick Hamilton, and likewise George Buchanan, who spoke of him as 'teaching the art of sophistry rather than dialectics.' Leaving St Andrews in 1525 Major again returned to Paris, where he remained till about 1530, admired and honoured by all who still maintained the traditions of the university as opposed to those who were eager for the introduction of the new lights of the Renaissance. In 1533 he was appointed provost of St Salvator's College, St Andrews, an office which he held till his death in 1550. Of his last years nothing is known; though it is worthy of mention that in 1547 he was present in St Andrews parish church at the first public sermon preached by his former pupil John Knox, then completely identified with the cause of religious reform in Scotland.
Major was the most famous literary Scotsman of his generation, and as the acknowledged champion of medievalism was assailed by men of such diverse character and aims as Melanchthon and Rabalais. It was his misfortune that his life was mainly given to the advocacy of ideas which were already doomed by the new teachings of the revival of learning. Though born after Erasmus, with whom he was a contemporary in Paris, he yet remained dead to those influences of the Renaissance which made Erasmus the life-long foe of Montaigu and the Sorbonne. Nevertheless, by his great reputation in his own day, and by the strong individuality stamped on those of his writings which still have a certain interest, Major claims a far higher place than has yet been accorded him in the literary history of his country. See Mr A. Constable's translation of his History issued by the Scottish Historical Society (1892), in which full information is given regarding Major and his works.