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Alexander Laing (Scottish Poet)
Alexander Laing (1787–1857) was a Scottish verse writer, known as the Brechin poet. Life Laing was born at Brechin, Angus, 14 May 1787; his father was an agricultural labourer. Laing spent only two winters at school, and when eight years old became a herdsman. At the age 16 he was apprenticed to a flax-dresser, and followed this occupation for fourteen years, when an accident permanently disabled him. Laing afterwards earned a living as a pedlar, and died at Brechin, 14 October 1857. Works Laing wrote in Lallans, and contributed to local newspapers and to the following poetical miscellanies: *''The Harp of Renfrewshire'', 1819; * John Struthers's ''The Harp of Caledonia'', 1819; *Robert Archibald Smith's ''The Scotish '' 'sic.''' Minstrel'', 1820; *Alexander Whitelaw's ''Book of Scottish Song'', 1844; and *'' Whistle Binkie'', 1832–47. Laing also furnished anecdotes to the Scottish story-book ''The Laird of Logan'', 1835. In 1846 he published a collection of his poetry ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brechin
Brechin (; gd, Breichin) is a city and former Royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin was described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese (which continues today as an episcopal seat of the Scottish Episcopal Church), but that status has not been officially recognised in the modern era. Nevertheless, the designation is often used, with examples being the City of Brechin and District Community Council, City of Brechin and Area Partnership, City of Brechin Civic Trust and Brechin City Football Club. Kinnaird Castle is nearby. Brechin is located slightly closer to Dundee than Aberdeen and is located on the A90 between the cities. It is the fourth largest settlement of Angus. History In the centre of Brechin is a small museum in the Brechin Town House, and an award-winning tourist attraction, the Caledonian Railway. Along with the cathedral and round tower, part of the chapel of Brechin's ''Mais ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Angus, Scotland
Angus ( sco, Angus; gd, Aonghas) is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Dundee City and Perth and Kinross. Main industries include agriculture and fishing. Global pharmaceuticals company GSK has a significant presence in Montrose in the north of the county. Angus was historically a province, and later a sheriffdom and county (known officially as Forfarshire from the 18th century until 1928), bordering Kincardineshire to the north-east, Aberdeenshire to the north and Perthshire to the west; southwards it faced Fife across the Firth of Tay; these remain the borders of Angus, minus Dundee which now forms its own small separate council area. Angus remains a registration county and a lieutenancy area. In 1975 some of its administrative functions were transferred to the council district of the Tayside Region, and in 1995 further reform resulted in the establishment of the un ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flax
Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. Textiles made from flax are known in Western countries as linen and are traditionally used for bed sheets, underclothes, and table linen. Its oil is known as linseed oil. In addition to referring to the plant, the word "flax" may refer to the unspun fibers of the flax plant. The plant species is known only as a cultivated plant and appears to have been domesticated just once from the wild species ''Linum bienne'', called pale flax. The plants called "flax" in New Zealand are, by contrast, members of the genus ''Phormium''. Description Several other species in the genus ''Linum'' are similar in appearance to ''L. usitatissimum'', cultivated flax, including some that have similar blue flowers, and others with white, yellow, or red flowers. Some of these are perennial pla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peddler
A peddler, in British English pedlar, also known as a chapman, packman, cheapjack, hawker, higler, huckster, (coster)monger, colporteur or solicitor, is a door-to-door and/or travelling vendor of goods. In England, the term was mostly used for travellers hawking goods in the countryside to small towns and villages. In London, more specific terms were used, such as costermonger. From antiquity, peddlers filled the gaps in the formal market economy by providing consumers with the convenience of door-to-door service. They operated alongside town markets and fairs where they often purchased surplus stocks which were subsequently resold to consumers. Peddlers were able to distribute goods to the more geographically-isolated communities such as those who lived in mountainous regions of Europe. They also called on consumers who, for whatever reason, found it difficult to attend town markets. Thus, peddlers played an important role in linking these consumers and regions to wider trade ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lallans
Lallans (; a variant of the Modern Scots word ''lawlands'' meaning the lowlands of Scotland), is a term that was traditionally used to refer to the Scots language as a whole. However, more recent interpretations assume it refers to the dialects of south and central Scotland, while ''Doric'', a term once used to refer to Scots dialects in general, is now generally seen to refer to the Mid Northern Scots dialects spoken in the north-east of Scotland. Burns, Stevenson Both Robert Burns and Robert Louis Stevenson used it to refer to the Scots language as a whole. They took nae pains their speech to balance, Or rules to gie; But spak their thoughts in plain, braid lallans, Like you or me. :—Robert Burns in ''Epistle To William Simson "What tongue does your auld bookie speak?" He'll spier; an' I, his mou to steik: "No bein' fit to write in Greek, I wrote in Lallan, Dear to my heart as the peat reek, Auld as Tantallon. :—Robert Louis Stevenson in "The Maker to Posterity" S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Struthers (poet)
John Struthers (18 July 177630 July 1853) was a Scottish poet and miscellaneous writer. Early life John Struthers was born in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire on 18 July 1776, the son of a shoemaker. Initially educated at home, he was sent to the local school at eight and although the local teacher saw his potential, the family circumstances meant that at the age of nine he was working as a cow-herd. He eventually became a farm labourer and took various positions until he learnt the art of making fine shoes at the prestigious Glasgow firm of Jenkin and Smith in 1793. Iniatally he made his shoes from his home in Anderson, near Glasgow and took the completed shoes in once a fortnight. In 1798 he was married and had a pretty cottage in the village. In 1801, he decided to publish privately a small book of poems. After publication he seems to have got very embarrassed and had all the copies that had not found owners destroyed. He described his feelings about this event – "Ignorant of pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Archibald Smith
Robert Archibald Smith (1780–1829) was a Scottish musical Ronantic composer, known for his collection ''Scotish Minstrel'', which began to appear in 1821. Life He was born on 16 November 1780.Monuments and monumental inscriptions in Scotland: The Grampian Society, 1871 He was the son of Robert Smith, a silk-weaver from East Kilbride who had moved to England, and was born at Reading, Berkshire on 16 November 1780; his mother was Ann Whitcher. He was apprenticed in silk-weaving, joined a church choir in Reading, and played in the band of a volunteer regiment. In 1800 the family moved to Paisley in Renfrewshire where father and son became muslin weavers. Here he also became acquainted with Robert Tannahill with whom he began composing tunes to match his words. Smith joined a volunteer company, played in its band, and composed its marches and quick-steps. Becoming a teacher of music, he was in 1807 appointed leader of psalmody in Paisley Abbey. Robert Boog, the incumbent of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alexander Whitelaw (editor)
Alexander Whitelaw (1803–1846) was a Scottish editor and writer. Life Whitelaw was born in Glasgow, and became an assistant to Robert Watt Robert Douglas Watt, (born 1945) is a former Canadian museum curator and officer of arms who served as the first Chief Herald of Canada. He was appointed at the foundation of the Canadian Heraldic Authority in 1988, and he was succeeded by Cla ... in the compilation of ''Bibliotheca Britannica''. He later was a journalist and poet. Hired by the publishers Blackie, he edited illustrated books; he also edited the '' Popular Encyclopedia or Conversations Lexicon'', which appeared from 1834 to 1842. Edited works *''The Casquet of Literary Gems'' (1828) *''The Republic of Letters'' (1833) *''Works of Robert Burns'', 2 vols., 1843–4 *''The Book of Scottish Song'' (1844) *''The Book of Scottish Ballads'' (1845) Notes 1803 births 1846 deaths Scottish book editors Scottish journalists 19th-century Scottish poets Scottish male wri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Whistle Binkie
''Whistle-Binkie, or, The piper of the party: Being a collection of songs for the social circle'' was a Scottish poetry and song anthology first appearing in 1832. There were later volumes under the same title, at least four more anthologies, and collected editions appearing from 1853. The style of verse typically was in imitation of Robert Burns. The series was enduringly popular, and the final ''Whistle Binkie'' anthology appeared in 1890. While the intention at the time was to publish Scottish writers, later critics such as Edwin Morgan have attacked the series on grounds of taste. Alexander Laing saw in it "sentiment, mild pathos and sly humour" writing in 1857; by a century later Hugh MacDiarmid could regard it as opening the way for children to be given "sentimental trash". First edition ''Whistle Binkie'' was published in 1832 by David Robertson, a bookseller in Trongate, Glasgow. The editor was John Donald Carrick, who also contributed to the collection. Notes Extern ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Burns
Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is in a "light Scots dialect" of English, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland. He also wrote in standard English, and in these writings his political or civil commentary is often at its bluntest. He is regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement, and after his death he became a great source of inspiration to the founders of both liberalism and socialism, and a cultural icon in Scotland and among the Scottish diaspora around the world. Celebration of his life and work became almost a national charismatic cult during the 19th and 20th centuries, and his influence has long been strong on Scottish literature. In 2009 he was chosen as the greatest Scot by the Scottish pub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Tannahill
Robert Tannahill (3 June 1774 – 17 May 1810) was a Scottish poet of labouring class origin. Known as the 'Weaver Poet', he wrote poetry in English and lyrics in Scots in the wake of Robert Burns. Life Robert Tannahill was born in Castle Street in Paisley to Janet (née Pollock) and James Tannahill, a silk gauze weaver. Soon after his birth the family moved to a newly built cottage in nearby Queen Street, which became both family home and weaving shop. Tannahill had a delicate constitution and a limp, due to a slight deformity in his right leg. On leaving school at age 12, he was apprenticed to his father as a handloom weaver. It was during this time that he began to show an interest in poetry. With his apprenticeship completed, Tannahill left Paisley in late 1779 to work in Bolton, Lancashire. He returned in late 1801 to support his family. His father died soon after his return and he cared for his infirm mother. As he reported in a letter to a friend, "My brother Hugh an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Allan Cunningham (author)
Allan Cunningham (7 December 178430 October 1842) was a Scottish poet and author. Life He was born at Keir, near Dalswinton, Dumfries and Galloway, and first worked as a stonemason's apprentice. His father was a neighbour of Robert Burns at Ellisland, and Allan with his brother James visited James Hogg, the "Ettrick shepherd", who became a friend to both. Cunningham's other brothers were the naval surgeon Peter Miller Cunningham (1789–1864) and the poet, Thomas Mounsey Cunningham (1776–1834). Cunningham gave his leisure to reading and writing imitations of old Scottish ballads. In 1809 he collected old ballads for Robert Hartley Cromek's ''Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song''; he sent in, however, poems of his own, which the editor inserted, even though he may have suspected their real authorship. It gained for him the friendship of Walter Scott and James Hogg. In 1810 Cunningham went to London, where he worked as a parliamentary reporter and journalist until ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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