b. 28 August 1802. d. 25 April 1876. Nationality: Scottish. VIAF.
Poet and essayist. Born in Bowden, Roxburghshire. Son of a builder. Educated at the
University of Edinburgh, and initially established his writing career there, moving
to Dumfries in 1835. Editor of *Edinburgh Weekly Journal* (1832) and then *Dumfriesshire
and Galloway Herald* (1835-1863). Author of poetry volumes *Martzoufle: A Tragedy
in Three Acts, with Other Poems* (1826), *Captive of Fez* (1830), a collected *Poems*
(1848), as well as the prose work *The Old Batchelor in the Scottish Village* (1845).
Edited the works of David Macbeth Moir. Biographical information: *ODNB*. (KH, AC)