As revealed in Mairiuna’s post “Sir Walter Scott’s Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border Rediscovered “, I am now quite pleased to introduce you to a series of articles about Sir Walter Scott’s cherished friends, be them on two legs or four. 😉
Sir Walter Scott Friends
As you will surely agree with me, this is a very daunting project to undertake because Sir Walter Scott had so many heartened relationships with people, animals and even landscapes, that it might be a never ending story!
But, let’s take it a friendship at a time. 😉
A precious ally in this venture is author Florence MacCunn, who wrote the book “Sir Walter Scott’s Friends”, first published by William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London, in 1909.
Florence MacCunnun was born in 1857, under the name of Florence Anne Sellar and married John MacCunn. Their son, Francis John MacCunn was killed at the battle of Loos in 1915.
Sir Walter Scott's Friends | by Flora MacCunn | Blackwood & Sons | 1909
I wondered what triggered the spirit (and pen) of Florence MacCunn to write such a fascinating book?
Her dedicacy gave me the answer:
DEAR MR DOUGLAS,__
As Editor of “The Journal” and of “The Letters,” your name is inseparably linked with that of Sir Walter Scott. Your conversation first suggested the subject of the present volume, your generosity supplied much of the material used, your unfailing interest and sympathy quickened the pleasure of writing it. To no one may it be so fully dedicated as to you, by
Your grateful and affectionate friend,
F. A. MacCunn
Florence MacCunn has also authored the biography of John Knox Life of John Knox and Mary Stuart’s Life of Mary Stuart.
Throughout this series, we will meet with men and women that all have in common a shared solid friendship with Sir Walter Scott, aka the “Wizard of the North”.
Sir Walter Scott and his friend Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe
The honor of opening this thematic series will be given to Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, whose “two strongest instincts – his pride of birth and love of beauty” led him to love “(…) every stone in the grey crumbling walls of Hoddam Castle, during his youth years spent in the region of Annandale.
Hoddam Castle, photo Charles S. Olcott, The Country of Sir Walter Scott, 1913
Sharpe’s and Walter Scott’s youth period found them both collecting ballads and when the first volume of the ‘Minstrelsy‘ was published, Charles Kirpatrick Sharpe wrote to Walter Scott and sent him the transcript of “The Douglas Tragedy”, which later appeared in the 4th volume.
He also included a different version than the one Scott had published of the “Queen’s Maries”, along with another text that was not known to Walter Scott: “The Twa Corbies”.
Last but not least, he also sent the fragmentary ballad, that he had copied from an old magazine, titled “Lady Anne”, an unfortunate lady who slew the new-born baby and saw him afterwards, a “bonnie boy”, singing and “playing at the ba” with Peter and Paul.
In 1803, he gave Scott the best of his own collection of poems (we can find some in the ‘Minstrelsy‘). The subsequent letters exchanged on subjects they were both passionate about crafted this lifelong friendship.
The bond between them was a common interest of “auld nick-nackets”, ballads, witchcraft trials, armories and stories of the past. They interchanged books, duplicates of old pamphlets, rare publications and often Walter Scott would consult C.K. Sharpe on questions of genealogies and antiquarianisms.
About Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe
Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe (1781-1851) , reknowned antiquary, was born on the 15th of May 1781 at Hoddam, in the Dumfriesshire, Scotland, and received his education in Edinburgh and at Christ Church, Oxford, where he graduated in 1806.
Sharpe had a reputation for his waspish caricatures and satires, and his letters, which were published in 1888 by Alexander Allardyce, demonstrate his weakness for scandal, though they present a vivid picture of literary society in his lifetime.
An indefatigable collector of antiquities and ballads, he edited and illustrated editions for the Bannatyne Club and the Abbotsford Club, and he enjoyed the friendship of David Laing and Thomas Thomson.
The latter part of his life was spent in seclusion in Drummond Place, Edinburgh. In his youth Sharpe wrote a number of poor poems and a drama, which remained unpublished.
Works:Metrical Legends and Other Poems (1807);ed.,
Extracts from the Household Book of Lady Marie Stewart (1815); ed.,
A Ballad Book: (1823); ed.,
A Pairt of the Life of Lady Margaret Cunninghame (1827); ed.,
A Memorial of the Conversion of Jean Livingstone, Lady Waristoun (1827);
The Wizard Peter (1834); ed.,
Surgundo (1837);
A Historical Account of the Belief of Witchcraft in Scotland (1884)
Source: http://www.visitdunkeld.com/charles-kirkpatrick-sharpe.html
Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe published another work of importance: Law’s Memorials which dealt with witchcraft and ghosts, subjects that always attracted Walter Scott and were close to Sharpe’s imagination.
Fairy Concert, Illustration by Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe | Source: http://childillustration.blogspot.com
Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe loved portraying his friends and was better distinguished for his drawings. The illustration above dates from 1830 and is a beautiful example of his talent.
The drawing was accompanied with the following letter:
93 Prince’s St Sunday
Dear Madam
I am quite ashamed – not only of having been so long in finishing the drawing which accompanies this note – but of the utter worthlessness of said daub – but wonderful hot weather – for Scotland – and tiresome headaches – must shape some excuse for my first cause of blushes – and my poor talent for design – and no small degree of blindness, is all I have to offer by way of apology for the other fault – such as it is, I lay my Fairy Concert at your mercy – begging you, to believe, that if I could have done it better, I would – and that I am always, dear Madam – your most faithful humble servant
Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe
Source: http://www.leicestergalleries.com/metadot/index.pl?isa=Metadot::SystemApp::AntiqueSearch;op=detail;id=13760
The Journal of Sir Walter Scott, Canongate Books, 928 pages
“Chas. Kirkpatrick Sharpe” writes Scott in his Journal, on November 20th, 1825 “… is another very remarkable man. He was bred a clergyman but did not take orders owing I believe to a peculiar effeminacy of voice which must have been unpleasant in reading prayers. (…) He has infinite wit and a great turn for antiquarian lore as the publications of Kirkton etc. bear witness.
His drawings are the most fanciful and droll imaginable – a mixture between Hogarth and some of those foreign masters who painted temptations of Saint Anthony and such grotesque subjects.
As a poet he has not a very strong touch. Strange that his finger-ends can describe so well what he cannot bring out clearly and firmly in words. If he were to make drawing a resource it might raise him a large income. But though a lover of antiquities and therefore of expensive trifles C.K.S. is too aristocratic to use his art to assist his revenue.
He is a very complete genealogist and has made many detections in Douglas and other books on pedigree which our nobles would do well to suppress if they had an opportunity.
Strange that a man should be curious after scandal centuries old! Not but Charles loves it fresh and fresh also…He is always master of the reigning report, and he tells the anecdote with such gusto that there is no helping sympathising with him: the peculiarity of voice adding not a little to the general effect.
My idea is that C. K. S. with his oddities tastes satire and high aristocratic feelings resembles Horace Walpole – perhaps in his person also in a general way. (…)”
Unmarried, Sharpe died on the 17th of March 1851. Two portraits, by John Irvine and Thomas Fraser respectively, are in the National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh; the latter was engraved in mezzotint by Thomas Dick in 1851.
On our next “Walter Scott’s friends tour” we will meet with James Hogg.
Stay tuned!
Best,
Janice
PS: for further readings, check out these books available on Amazon:
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