Walter Scott

myminifactory

Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet, was born on August 15, 1771, in Edinburgh, Scotland. As a renowned historical novelist, playwright and poet, his works continue to be celebrated as classics of both English-language literature and Scottish literature. Some of his most famous titles include Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, Old Mortality, The Lady of the Lake, Waverley, The Heart of Midlothian, and The Bride of Lammermoor. A skilled advocate, judge, and legal administrator by profession, Scott combined his writing and editing work with his daily occupation as Clerk of Session and Sheriff-Depute of Selkirkshire throughout his career. As a prominent member of the Tory establishment in Edinburgh, he was an active member of the Highland Society and served as President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh from 1820 to 1832. Growing up in a Presbyterian family, Scott survived a childhood bout of polio in 1773 that left him lame. To help his condition, he was sent to live with his paternal grandparents at Sandyknowe farm in the Scottish Borders. It was there that he learned to read from his aunt Jenny and developed an interest in the speech patterns and stories of the region. In January 1775, Scott returned to Edinburgh and spent the summer with his aunt Jenny at Bath in England, where they took spa treatment. He continued to visit Sandyknowe throughout his childhood, developing a deep connection to the Scottish Borders and its people. Scott began studying classics at the University of Edinburgh at just 12 years old, a year younger than most of his fellow students. He later apprenticed with his father's office to become a Writer to the Signet and became friends with Adam Ferguson, who hosted literary salons where Scott met notable figures like Robert Burns. As a young man, Scott was fascinated by the oral traditions of the Scottish Borders and developed an innovative method for recording stories using carvings on twigs. At 25, he began writing professionally, translating works from German and publishing his first poetry in 1796. Through his friend James Ballantyne's printing press in Kelso, Scott published his early works, including "Glenfinlas" and "The Eve of St. John." His poetry brought him to public attention, and in 1805, The Lay of the Last Minstrel captured the imagination of a wide audience, establishing him as a writer. Over the next decade, Scott published many more poems, including The Lady of the Lake, set in the Trossachs and translated into German. Portions of this work were even set to music by Franz Schubert, who famously composed "Ellens dritter Gesang," also known as "Schubert's Ave Maria." Despite his worldwide celebrity through poetry, Scott soon turned to prose fiction to document his researches into the oral tradition of the Scottish Borders. In 1814, he anonymously published his first novel, Waverley, a tale of the Jacobite rising of 1745. Waverley tells the story of Edward Waverley, an English protagonist who becomes embroiled in the Jacobite cause after meeting the Baron Bradwardine and his daughter Rose. Through Flora MacIvor, Waverley meets Bonnie Prince Charlie and eventually decides to lead a peaceful life under the House of Hanover rather than live as a proscribed rebel. With Waverley, Scott established himself as a masterful storyteller and paved the way for future generations of Scottish novelists. His innovative approach to fiction would go on to influence countless writers and cement his place in literary history.