James Ferguson was a Scottish astronomer who, despite never receiving formal training, became famed for his travelling lectures and easy-to-understand works on the basics of astronomy. Ferguson learned mechanics at a very early age and developed an interest in stargazing while working as a shepherd in the Scottish highlands. These interests, as well as an innate skill for draughtsmanship, were encouraged by his father and others but due to lack of funds he was unable to pursue study at one of the major universities in Scotland. Nevertheless, he was able to use his skills to produce mechanical devices such as orreries (an early piece of equipment used to demonstrate the movements of the planets), clocks and globes and earned a steady living painting portrait miniatures with India ink.
Ferguson would go on to publish easy-to-follow guides on astronomy, mechanics and electricity. This was a remarkably useful enterprise: it allowed ordinary people without formal mathematical training to understand the works of Newton and helped support the vogue for amateur science that was taking place in the mid eighteenth century.