William Laidlaw (1780–1845) was a Scottish poet. The son of a border farmer, he became steward and amanuensis to

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 was the author of a well-known

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

, ''Lucy's Flittin''.

Life

He was born 19 November 1780, at Blackhouse, Selkirkshire, where his father was a sheep-farmer. After receiving an elementary education at

Peebles Peebles ( gd, Na Pùballan) is a town in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. It was historically a royal burgh and the county town of Peeblesshire. According to the 2011 census, the population was 8,376 and the estimated population in June 2018 wa ...

he assisted his father for a time.

James Hogg James Hogg (1770 – 21 November 1835) was a Scottish poet, novelist and essayist who wrote in both Scots and English. As a young man he worked as a shepherd and farmhand, and was largely self-educated through reading. He was a friend of many ...

, whose mother was his distant cousin, was employed at Blackhouse for ten years, and formed a lasting friendship with Laidlaw. In 1801, Hogg and Laidlaw helped Scott with materials for the '' Border Minstrelsy''. After two unsuccessful attempts at farming, in Peeblesshire and Midlothian, Laidlaw in 1817 became steward to Sir Walter Scott at Abbotsford. In 1819, when Scott was recovering from an illness, Laidlaw and

Ballantyne Ballantyne may refer to: People * Charles Ballantyne (1867–1950), Canadian politician * David Ballantyne (1924–1986), a New Zealand journalist, novelist and short-story writer * Edith Ballantyne (born 1922), Czech-born Canadian executive sec ...

wrote to his dictation most of ''

The Bride of Lammermoor ''The Bride of Lammermoor'' is a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, published in 1819, one of the Waverley novels. The novel is set in the Lammermuir Hills of south-east Scotland, shortly before the Act of Union of 1707 (in the first editio ...

'', and subsequently ''

A Legend of Montrose ''A Legend of Montrose'' is an historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, set in Scotland in the 1640s during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It forms, along with ''The Bride of Lammermoor'', the 3rd series of Scott's '' Tales of My Landlord''. The ...

'', and nearly all '' Ivanhoe''. '' St. Ronan's Well'' may have been due to Laidlaw's suggestion that Scott should devote a novel to "Melrose in July 1823", according to

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 ...

. Scott suffered financial ruin; but after an interval, Laidlaw again became his amanuensis, retaining the post till Scott's death in 1832. Subsequently he was factor to Sir Charles Lockhart-Ross, 8th Baronet, at Balnagowan, Ross. Retiring in poor health, he died in the house of his brother at

Contin Contin (Gaelic: Cunndainn) is a Ross-shire village, and a civil parish and community council area between Strathpeffer and Garve in the Highland council area of Scotland. The parish has a population of 675.Dingwall Dingwall ( sco, Dingwal, gd, Inbhir Pheofharain ) is a town and a royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,491. It was an east-coast harbour that now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest cas ...

, 18 May 1845.

Works

Laidlaw is remembered only for his tender song, ''Lucy's Flittin'', published in Hogg's ''Forest Minstrel'', 1810. After 1817 he compiled, under Scott's management and direction, part of the '' Edinburgh Annual Register'', and contributed articles to the '' Edinburgh Monthly Magazine''. He is also said to have written on the geology of

Selkirkshire Selkirkshire or the County of Selkirk ( gd, Siorrachd Shalcraig) is a historic county and registration county of Scotland. It borders Peeblesshire to the west, Midlothian to the north, Roxburghshire to the east, and Dumfriesshire to the south. ...

. The University of Glasgow has posted the poem in its entirety.

References

;Attribution * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Laidlaw, William 1780 births 1845 deaths British poets British male poets Amanuenses