Sir Walter Scott is usually credited with inventing the historical novel. He wrote 28 of them in a collection known as the Waverley novels. This was named after the first one published in 1814 anonymously. He also wrote epic narrative poems, ballad collections and extensive non-fiction works.
From the early 1800s until his death in 1832 — and beyond — he was probably the most read English author in the world. In keeping with an author who mixed history into his stories, he was also an “antiquarian,” a collector of artifacts from the past. What he collected ended up in his home in the Scottish Border area near the pleasant village of Tweedbank.
The official name is Abbotsford, but Scott referred to it as his “Conundrum Castle“ and as the “Delilah of my imagination.” Led astray as Samson was, Scott started Abbotsford on 110 acres in 1811 and within a few years had expanded his estate to 1,400 acres. The house was built in two phases during Scott’ lifetime, from 1817 to 1819 and then from 1822 to 1825. He had a wife, Charlotte, he met in Gisland (remember that from a few posts back?), four children and liked planting trees on his land and running his dogs. But most of all, he wrote.
Between 1815 and 1825, he published 21 novels and other poetic works.
Then came the financial crisis of 1826 caused by what else: Easy credit, over market speculation from greedy investors until it all collapsed and a lot of people were left holding the bag full of debt they had no way of paying off. That included Scott’s publisher and his printing partner. They went into bankruptcy, but Scott, who had borrowed against future earnings to enhance Delilah, decided to write his way out of debt.
“My own right hand shall pay the debt,” he wrote, in cursive.
The same year as the financial panic, Scott’s wife died. He suffered from a stroke in 1823 and had more in 1830 and 1831. So his last years were not happy ones. Still, he sold off a house he owned in Edinburgh, some of his copyrights and with his further writings, his creditors’ bills were fulfilled just after his death in 1832 at Abbotsford.
William Scott, an ancestor of Walter Scott, was a reiver, raiding up and down the Scottish Borderland. He led an expedition against the Murray clan of Elibank and got caught. He was given a choice: hang or marry Muckle-mouthed Meg, the daughter of Sir Gideon Murray of Elibank. Meg was “famously ugly with a huge mouth ( which never stopped her from being cheerful and always smiling).” William chose Meg, and “they lived happily ever after,” as the sign says.
The wooden works in those rooms is fantastic. And same for the sculptures/carvings. Amazing place. I wonder what the sounds and light were like when actually in the place.