Notes and sketches illustrative of Northern rural life in the eighteenth century

by William Alexander

This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

221 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1877

About the author

William Alexander was born in the Garioch, near the foot of Benachie. He found his feet as a writer through the Mutual Instruction movement which flourished in North-East Scotland at this time under the direction of William McCombie of Cairnballoch, farmer, philosopher, economist and newspaper editor, who offered Alexander a job in the autumn of 1852. He eventually succeeded McCombie as editor of the Aberdeen Free Press, and went on to become one of the leading professional journalists in Victorian Scotland. Politically, he was a radical, supporting land reform and the abolition of hereditary privileges.

Alexander was a prolific novelist of wide thematic range and considerable variety of style, from austere realism at one end of the scale, to mellow social comedy at the other. His works were serialised in popular newspapers. He consciously avoided the book as a publication vehicle.

Sketches of Rural Life in Aberdeenshire ran in the Aberdeen Free Press during 1853. The Authentic History of Peter Grundie appeared in the Penny Free Press in 1855, and is the earliest novel of substance to be written specifically for publication in a newspaper. There followed The Laird of Drammochdyle in 1865, Ravenshowe and the Residenters Therein in 1867, and Johnny Gibb of Gushetneuk in 1869.

His later short stories, Mary Malcolmson's Wee Maggie, Baubie Huie's Bastart Geet, Francie Herregerie's Sharger Laddie and Couper Sandy show the harsh consequences of economic and social change for cotters, labourers and small tenant farmers.

Alexander's last full novel, My Uncle the Baillie (1876) deals with burgh politics in the city of Greyness (a thinly disguised Aberdeen) and shows that his interest extended to urban themes.