John Donald Carrick (1787–1837) was a Scottish journalist and songwriter.

Life

Carrick was born in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

in April 1787; his father was originally from

Buchlyvie Buchlyvie is a village in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It is situated west of Stirling and north of Glasgow. Lying within the Carse of Forth, to the north is Flanders Moss and to the south are the Campsie Fells. The village lies on th ...

Stirlingshire Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling, gd, Siorrachd Sruighlea) is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration countyRegisters of Scotland. Publications, leaflets, Land Register Counties. of Scotland. Its county town is Stirli ...

. He was placed in the office of Nicholson, a Glasgow architect, while still young, leaving about 1805 for a clerkship in a counting-house. In 1807 he ran away, and walked to London, where a Scottish tradesman gave him a trial as shopboy. In 1809 Carrick found work with Spode & Co., potters in

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...

, who had warehouses in London; and he acquired sufficient knowledge of the business to return to Glasgow, 1811, and set up shop in Hutcheson Street. In 1825 prolonged litigation led to his insolvency. As agent to manufacturers he visited the Highlands, and acquired the Gaelic language. On returning to Glasgow in 1828 Carrick was engaged as sub-editor of the ''Scots Times''. In 1833 he accepted the editorship of the ''Perth Advertiser'', but quarrelled with the managing committee in a year, and in February 1834 started the ''Kilmarnock Journal''. He again fell out with the proprietors, and was attacked by paralysis of the mouth; in 1835 he returned to Glasgow, in bad health. Carrick died 17 August 1837, aged 50.

Works

In Glasgow Carrick took to writing, producing several humorous Scotch songs, and a ''Life of Wallace'' for the young. Later he contributed articles to ''The Day'', a Glasgow daily paper which lasted only six months; and published 1830, his extended ''Life of Sir William Wallace of Elderslie'', 2 vols. (vols. liii. and liv. of ''

Constable's Miscellany ''Constable's Miscellany'' was a part publishing serial established by Archibald Constable. Three numbers made up a volume; many of the works were divided into several volumes. The price of a number was one shilling. The full series title was ''C ...

''). In 1832 he edited and partly wrote '' Whistle-Binkie, or the Piper of the Party'', a collection of humorous songs. Carrick edited and contributed to the ''Laird of Logan'' a collection of Scotch tales and witticism, which appeared in 1835. From

Rothesay Rothesay ( ; gd, Baile Bhòid ) is the principal town on the Isle of Bute, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies along the coast of the Firth of Clyde. It can be reached by ferry from Wemyss Bay, which offers an onward rail ...

he contributed some papers to the ''Scottish Monthly Magazine'', and announced a new work, ''Tales of the Bannock Men''. He left in manuscript ''Logan House, or the Laird at Home'', a comedy. A new edition of the ''Laird of Logan'', accompanied by an anonymous "Biographical Sketch". came out in 1841. ''Whistle-Binkie'' appeared in numerous issues.1838, 1839, 1842, 1845, 1843, 1853, and 1878, much enlarged.

Notes

;Attribution

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Carrick, John Donald 1787 births 1837 deaths Journalists from Glasgow Scottish male songwriters