William Edmondstoune Aytoun
FRSE (21 June 18134 August 1865) was a
Scottish poet, lawyer by training, and professor of rhetoric and belles lettres at the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
. He published poetry, translation, prose fiction, criticism and satire and was a lifelong contributor to the Edinburgh literary periodical
Blackwood's Magazine
''Blackwood's Magazine'' was a British magazine and miscellany printed between 1817 and 1980. It was founded by the publisher William Blackwood and was originally called the ''Edinburgh Monthly Magazine''. The first number appeared in April 1817 ...
. He was also a collector of
Scottish ballads.
In the early 1850s, Professor Aytoun lent his name as a supporter of the fledgling
National Association for the Vindication of Scottish Rights. His distinctive legacy as a teacher has led to him being called the 'first modern professor of English Literature'.
Early life and education
![21 Abercromby Place, Edinburgh](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/21_Abercromby_Place%2C_Edinburgh.jpg)
William Aytoun was born at 21 Abercromby Place
in the
New Town of
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
, the only son of Joan Keir (1771–1861) and Roger Aytoun
WS (1769–1843), Director of the Chancery of Scotland. His parents were both Episcopalians.
To his mother, a woman of culture, he owed his early fondness for literature (including ballad poetry), his political sympathies, and his admiration for the
House of Stuart
The House of Stuart, originally spelt Stewart, was a royal house of Scotland, England, Ireland and later Great Britain. The family name comes from the office of High Steward of Scotland, which had been held by the family progenitor Walter fi ...
. He also counted poet Sir
Robert Aytoun
Sir Robert Aytoun or Ayton (1570–1638) was a Scottish poet.
Biography
Aytoun was the son of Andrew Ayton of Kinaldie Castle, in Fife, Scotland, and Mary Lundie.
Aytoun and his elder brother John entered St Leonard's College in St Andrews ...
(died 1638) among his relatives.
At the age of eleven years William was sent to the Edinburgh Academy, and subsequently entered the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
.
Travels and writings
William Aytoun published his first book, ''Poland, Homer, and other Poems'', in 1832, at the age of 19. This work expressed fervent concern for the cause of
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
.
In 1833 he journeyed to
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
where he spent a few months studying law, but decided in September of that year to travel on to
Aschaffenburg
Aschaffenburg (; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Aschebersch'') is a town in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not part of the Aschaffenburg (district), district of Aschaffenburg, but is its administrative sea ...
where he studied
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
. While in Germany he made a
blank verse
Blank verse is poetry written with regular metrical but unrhymed lines, almost always in iambic pentameter. It has been described as "probably the most common and influential form that English poetry has taken since the 16th century", and Pa ...
translation of the first part of
Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tr ...
's ''
Faust
Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540).
The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroa ...
''; but it was never published, forestalled by other translations. He remained in Germany until April 1834.
On returning to Scotland, Aytoun resumed his legal studies in his father's chambers. He was admitted a
writer to the signet
The Society of Writers to His Majesty's Signet is a private society of Scottish solicitors, dating back to 1594 and part of the College of Justice. Writers to the Signet originally had special privileges in relation to the drawing up of document ...
in 1835, and five years later certified a Scottish lawyer. By his own confession, though he followed the law, he never could "overtake" it.
Aytoun was a contributor to the Edinburgh literary periodical ''
Blackwood's Magazine
''Blackwood's Magazine'' was a British magazine and miscellany printed between 1817 and 1980. It was founded by the publisher William Blackwood and was originally called the ''Edinburgh Monthly Magazine''. The first number appeared in April 1817 ...
'', beginning in 1836 with the magazine's acceptance of his translations from
Uhland Uhland may refer to:
*Ludwig Uhland (1787-1862), German poet
*Uhland, Texas
Uhland ( ) is a city in Caldwell and Hays counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 1,588 at the 2020 census, up from 1,014 at the 2010 census. Uhland is na ...
. In 1839 he joined the staff of Blackwood's, an association which he maintained until the end of his life. His contributions to the periodical included humorous prose stories, such as ''The Glenmutchkin Railway'', ''How I Became a Yeoman'', and ''How I Stood for the Dreepdaily Burghs'', a partly autobiographical novel, ''Norman Sinclair'', and the work upon which his reputation as a poet is chiefly based, his ''
Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers'' (1848).
In around 1841 Aytoun became acquainted with
Theodore Martin
Sir Theodore Martin (16 September 1816 – 18 August 1909) was a Scottish poet, biographer, and translator.
Biography
Martin was the son of James Martin, a solicitor in Edinburgh, where Theodore was born and educated at the Royal High Scho ...
, and in association with him wrote a series of humorous articles on the fashions and follies of the time, in which were interspersed the verses which afterwards became popular as the ''Bon Gaultier Ballads'' (1855).
His reputation as a keen satirist is also demonstrated by his dramatic verse ''
Firmilian, a Spasmodic Tragedy'', or ''The Student of Badajoz'' (1854) under the ''nom-de-plume'' of T. Percy Jones, a mock-tragedy in which he parodied the poems of the
Spasmodic poets. It was intended to satirise a group of poets and critics, including
George Gilfillan
__NOTOC__
Rev George Gilfillan (30 January 1813 – 13 August 1878) was a Scottish author and poet. One of the spasmodic poets, Gilfillan was also an editor and commentator, with memoirs, critical dissertations in many editions of earlier Britis ...
,
Sydney Thompson Dobell,
Philip James Bailey, and
Alexander Smith. His parody played a decisive role in ending the vogue for such works.
University appointment and political affiliations
In 1845, Aytoun was appointed professor of rhetoric and ''belles lettres'' at the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
. His lectures attracted large numbers of students, raising the attendance from 30 to 150.
His services in support of the
Tory party
The Tories were a loosely organised political faction and later a political party, in the Parliaments of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom. They first emerged during the 1679 Exclusion Crisis, when they opposed ...
, especially during the Anti-
Corn-Law struggle, received official recognition with his appointment in 1852 as
Sheriff of Orkney and Shetland, a role he served for 13 years.
In 1853 Aytoun supported the
National Association for the Vindication of Scottish Rights, sharing a platform as speaker with
Lord Eglinton at the two defining public meetings held on behalf of the Association that year in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
and
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 ...
.
Freemasonry
Ayntoun was initiated into Scottish Freemasonry in Lodge Canongate Kilwinning, No. 2, on 9 March 1836. He served as Master of that Lodge for 1839.
Family life
William Aytoun was married to Jane Emily Wilson, the daughter of
Professor John Wilson (Christopher North). She died in 1859 and he then remarried, his second wife being Fearnie Jemima Kinnear, who died in 1904. He had no children by either wife.
Death
He died at home, 16 Great Stuart Street on the
Moray Estate
The Moray Estate in Edinburgh was an exclusive early 19th century building venture attaching the west side of Edinburgh's New Town.
Built on an awkward and steeply sloping site, it has been described as a masterpiece of urban planning.
Back ...
, on 4 August 1865.
[Edinburgh Post Office directory 1864]![William Edmondstoune Aytoun's grave, Dean Cemetery](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/William_Edmondstoune_Aytoun%27s_grave%2C_Dean_Cemetery.JPG)
He is buried close to Professor Wilson in the south section of
Dean Cemetery in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
.
Notes
References
*
*
*
Rosaline Masson
Rosaline Masson (1867–1949) was a Scottish author and a prolific writer of novels, biographies, histories and other works.
Life
Rosaline Masson was born on 6 May 1867 in Edinburgh and was the daughter of suffrage campaigner Emily Rosaline ...
, ''
Pollock
Pollock or pollack (pronounced ) is the common name used for either of the two species of North Atlantic marine fish in the genus ''Pollachius''. '' Pollachius pollachius'' is referred to as pollock in North America, Ireland and the United Kingd ...
and Aytoun.'' Edinburgh:
Oliphant, Anderson and Ferrier
Oliphant, Anderson and Ferrier was a Scottish publishing company based in the national capital Edinburgh.
It produced many hundreds of books mainly on religious and biographical themes, especially during its heyday from about 1880 to 1910. It is ...
, 1898, (
"Famous Scots Series")
External links
*
*
*
*
*
William Edmonstoune Aytounat
University of Toronto Libraries
The University of Toronto Libraries system is the largest academic library in Canada and is ranked third among peer institutions in North America, behind only Harvard and Yale. The system consists of 39 libraries located on University of Toronto' ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aytoun, William Edmondstoune
19th-century Scottish writers
1813 births
1865 deaths
People associated with Orkney
People associated with Shetland
Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
People educated at Edinburgh Academy
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Burials at the Dean Cemetery
Members of the Faculty of Advocates
Scottish sheriffs
Academics of the University of Edinburgh
Scottish solicitors
Scottish translators
19th-century British translators
19th-century Scottish poets
19th-century Scottish judges
Scottish Freemasons
Writers from Edinburgh