[1] Born in Kirkconnel, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland,[1] the sixth and youngest son of James Anderson a quarrier.

[2] Spending all his leisure in self-culture, he mastered German, French, and Spanish sufficiently to read the chief masterpieces in these languages.

[2] Anderson was published in periodicals such as Good Words and Chambers's Edinburgh Journal numerous times from 1871 until 1890.

Gilfillan wrote to Thomas Aird "You will be greatly interested in his simple manner and appearance-an unspoiled Burns is these respects and not without a little real mens divinor.

Of a simple and gentle character, he made many friends, including the Duke of Argyll, Thomas Carlyle, and Lord Houghton.