William Erskine, Lord Kinneder (1768–1822), was a friend and confidant of
Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...
, and a scholar and songwriter.
Early life and education
Erskine was the son of the Rev. William Erskine,
episcopalian
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the l ...
minister of
Muthill
Muthill, pronounced , is a village in Perth and Kinross, Perthshire, Scotland. The name derives from scottish gaelic Maothail meaning “soft-ground”.
The village lies south of Crieff, just west of the former railway line connecting Crieff ...
, Perthshire. He was baptized at Muthill on 29 August 1768. He was educated at the
University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
; while there he boarded in the house of
Andrew Macdonald, episcopalian clergyman and author of ''
Vimonda'', from whom, according to Lockhart, he derived a strong passion for old English literature.
Career
He passed advocate at the
Scottish bar
The Faculty of Advocates is an independent body of lawyers who have been admitted to practise as advocates before the courts of Scotland, especially the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary. The Faculty of Advocates is a constitu ...
on 3 July 1790, and became the close friend and literary confidant of Scott. In 1792 Erskine, with Scott and other young advocates, formed a class for the study of German. According to Scott's biographer
John Gibson Lockhart
John Gibson Lockhart (12 June 1794 – 25 November 1854) was a Scottish writer and editor. He is best known as the author of the seminal, and much-admired, seven-volume biography of his father-in-law Sir Walter Scott: ''Memoirs of the Life of Sir ...
, the companionship of Erskine, owing to his special accomplishments as a classical scholar and acquaintance with the "severe models of antiquity", was highly serviceable to Scott as a student of German drama and romance. Lockhart represents him as being mercilessly severe on "the mingled absurdities and vulgarities of German detail". It was Erskine who negotiated for Scott's translation of ''
Lenore'' in 1796. In 1801, while in London, Erskine happened to show the volume to
"Monk" Lewis, who thereupon "anxiously requested that Scott might be enlisted as a contributor to his miscellany entitled ''Tales of Wonder''". Soon after Scott began his great career as an author, he resolved to trust to the detection of minor inaccuracies to two persons only,
James Ballantyne
James Ballantyne (15 January 1772 – 26 January 1833) was a Scottish solicitor, editor and publisher who worked for his friend Sir Walter Scott. His brother John Ballantyne (1774–1821) was also with the publishing firm, which is noted fo ...
and Erskine, the latter being "the referee whenever the poet hesitated about taking the advice of the zealous typographer". The friends joined in keeping up the delusion that Erskine and not Scott was the author of the portions of ''
The Bridal of Triermain
''The Bridal of Triermain'' is a narrative poem in three cantos by Walter Scott, published anonymously in 1813. It is written in a flexible metre of four and three stress lines. Set in Cumberland, it recounts the exploits of a knight as he seeks ...
'', and wrote a preface intended to "throw out the knowing ones".
Scott dedicated to Erskine the third canto of ''
Marmion'', which was published in February 1808. Erskine was appointed
sheriff depute of Orkney on 6 June 1809, and in 1814 Scott accompanied him and other friends on a voyage to
Orkney
Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...
. Lockhart ascribes to Erskine the critical estimate of the Waverley novels included in Scott's own notice in the ''
Quarterly Review
The ''Quarterly Review'' was a literary and political periodical founded in March 1809 by London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River ...
'' of ''
Old Mortality
''Old Mortality'' is one of the Waverley novels by Walter Scott. Set in south west Scotland, it forms, along with ''The Black Dwarf'', the 1st series of his ''Tales of My Landlord'' (1816). The novel deals with the period of the Covenanters, ...
'', in answer to the sectarian attacks of
Thomas M'Crie the Elder against his representation of the covenanters. By Scott's unwearied exertions on his behalf Erskine was in January 1822 promoted to the
bench as Lord Kinneder. The charge against him of an improper liaison, a sex scandal with Mrs Burt, a well known prostitute from Edinburgh, so seriously affected his health and spirits that, though it was proved to be utterly groundless, he never recovered from the shock caused by the accusation. It "struck", said Scott, "into his heart and soul"; he became nerveless and despondent, was finally attacked by fever and delirium, and died on 14 August 1822. Lockhart states that he never saw Scott "in such a state of dejection" as when he accompanied him in attendance upon Kinneder's funeral. At the time
George IV
George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...
was paying his
memorable visit to Edinburgh, and Scott, owing to his grief, plunged into the gaiety of the moment with an aching heart. "If ever a pure spirit quitted this vale of tears", wrote Sir Walter to a friend, "it was William Erskine's. I must turn to, and see what can be done about getting some pension for his daughters." Lockhart thought that Erskine was "the only man in whose society Scott took great pleasure, during the more vigorous part of his life, that had neither constitution nor inclination for any of the rough bodily exercise in which he himself delighted." If, as Erskine supposed, Redmond in ''
Rokeby'' is meant for a portrait of himself, Lockhart must have exaggerated Erskine's effeminacy. Erskine wrote several
Scottish songs
Scotland is internationally known for its traditional music, which remained vibrant throughout the 20th century and into the 21st, when many traditional forms worldwide lost popularity to pop music. In spite of emigration and a well-developed con ...
.
[one of which is published in ]James Maidment
James Maidment (1793 in London – 1879 in Edinburgh) was a British antiquary and collector. He passed through Edinburgh University to the Scottish bar, and was chief authority on genealogical cases.
Maidment's hobby was the collection of l ...
's ''Court of Session Garland'' (1839), p. 110.
Personal life
On 13 September 1800 Kinneder married Euphemia Robison (only daughter of Professor
John Robison- Physicist), who died in September 1819. She was buried in the churchyard of
Saline, Fife
Saline is a village and parish in Fife, Scotland, situated to the north-west of Dunfermline. It lies in an elevated position on the western slopes of the Cleish Hills.
At the 2001 Census the population was 1188, a decline from the 1235 recor ...
, where there is an epitaph on her tombstone written by Scott.
William Erskine's children with Euphemia Robison were:
Euphemia (4 June 1801 Saline, Fife, Scotland – 7 June 1852 Portobello, Midlothian, Scotland) m. George Dawson 22 June 1829 Edinburgh, Scotland, 5 children
Helen Drummond (3 December 1803 Saline, Fife Scotland – 11 August 1829 Ellichpoor, Bombay, India) d.s.p.
William (11 July 1805 Saline, Fife, Scotland – 28 April 1811 Edinburgh, Scotland)
Mary Anne (17 March 1807 Saline, Fife, Scotland – 13 August 1881 Bolarum, India) m. Joseph Baker Puget (1803–1833) 1 July 1831 Ellichpoor, Bombay, India, m. Alexander Adam (1795–1834) 5 June 1834 Bolarum, India, d.s.p.
Jane (2 April 1809 Saline, Fife, Scotland – 26 February 1837 Leamington, Edinburgh, Scotland) d.s.p
John (6 November 1810 Edinburgh, Scotland – 8 July 1846 Saline, Fife, Scotland) m. Isabella Christianne Bunbury (1813–1876) Bengal, India, 2 children
William (31 May 1813 Edinburgh, Scotland – 12 May 1901 Sarnia, Ontario, Canada) m. Mary Wright (1803–1890) 30 April 1835 Monaghan North, Peterborough County, Upper Canada, 3 children
Infant daughter (died 6 March 1817 Edinburgh, Scotland)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Erskine, William
1768 births
1822 deaths
Alumni of the University of Glasgow
People from Perthshire
18th-century scholars
19th-century scholars
Scottish scholars and academics
18th-century British composers
18th-century British male musicians
19th-century British composers
Scottish songwriters
Scottish composers
18th-century Scottish musicians
19th-century Scottish musicians
Kinneder
Members of the Faculty of Advocates
Scottish sheriffs
19th-century British male musicians
British male songwriters