Life
He was born on 3 January 1716 the son of Reverend Robert Jardine, and his wife Janet Rannie. His father was minister of Cummertrees at the time of his birth but relocated to Glencairn in 1719 and settled in Lochmaben near Dumfries in 1732. There is no mention of any formal training but he was licensed to preach as a Church of Scotland minister by the Presbytery of Lochmaben in September 1736.[2]
It took five years to find a posting, and only in July 1741 was he ordained as minister of parish Liberton, just south of Edinburgh. He was translated to Lady Yester's Church in the city in 1750 and in October 1754 transferred to the Tron Kirk on Edinburgh on the Royal Mile as an assistant of Rev. George Wishart.[2]
St Andrews University awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Divinity in 1758. In 1759 he was appointed Chaplain in Ordinary to King George II of Great Britain continuing as Chaplain to King George III on the death of the former. In 1761 he was created Dean of the Chapel Royal and in 1763 Dean of the Order of the Thistle.[3]
During the summer of 1763 Jardine met James Boswell at Lord Eglinton's house in London. Boswell described Jardine as "a hard-headed, jolly dog".[4]
He died suddenly while attending the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland on 30 May 1766 aged only 50.
His job at Tron Kirk was appointed to John Drysdale.