FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   443   444   445   446   447   448   449   450   451   452   453   454   455   456   457   458   459   460   461   462   463   464   465   466   467  
468   469   470   471   472   473   474   475   476   477   478   479   480   481   482   483   484   485   486   487   488   489   490   491   492   >>   >|  
ough well skilled as a musician, is not otherwise known to have composed verses. One of the songs is evidently an echo of the other. DAVID DRUMMOND. David Drummond, author of "The Bonnie Lass o' Levenside," a song formerly of no inconsiderable popularity, was a native of Crieff, Perthshire. Along with his four brothers, he settled in Fifeshire, about the beginning of the century, having obtained the situation of clerk in the Kirkland works, near Leven. In 1812, he proceeded to India, and afterwards attained considerable wealth as the conductor of an academy and boarding establishment at Calcutta. A man of vigorous mind and respectable scholarship, he had early cultivated a taste for literature and poetry, and latterly became an extensive contributor to the public journals and periodical publications of Calcutta. The song with which his name has been chiefly associated, was composed during the period of his employment at the Kirkland works,--the heroine being Miss Wilson, daughter of the proprietor of Pirnie, near Leven, a young lady of great personal attractions, to whom he was devotedly attached. The sequel of his history, in connexion with this lady, forms the subject of a romance, in which he has been made to figure much to the injury of his fame. The correct version of this story, in which Drummond has been represented as faithless to the object of his former affections, we have received from a gentleman to whom the circumstances were intimately known. In consequence of a proposal to become his wife, Miss Wilson sailed for Calcutta in 1816. On her arrival, she was kindly received by her affianced lover, who conducted her to the house of a respectable female friend, till arrangements might be completed for the nuptial ceremony. In the interval, she became desirous of withdrawing from her engagement; and Drummond, observing her coldness, offered to pay the expense of her passage back to Scotland. Meanwhile, she was seized with fever, of which she died. Report erroneously alleged that she had died of a broken heart on account of her lover being unfaithful, and hence the memory of poor Drummond has been most unjustly aspersed. Drummond died, at Calcutta, in 1845, about the age of seventy. He was much respected among a wide circle of friends and admirers. His personal appearance was unprepossessing, almost approaching to deformity,--a circumstance which may explain the ultimate hesitation of Miss Wilson to ac
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   443   444   445   446   447   448   449   450   451   452   453   454   455   456   457   458   459   460   461   462   463   464   465   466   467  
468   469   470   471   472   473   474   475   476   477   478   479   480   481   482   483   484   485   486   487   488   489   490   491   492   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Drummond

 

Calcutta

 

Wilson

 
received
 

composed

 
respectable
 

Kirkland

 
personal
 

intimately

 
friend

conducted

 
female
 
arrangements
 
completed
 

nuptial

 
gentleman
 

circumstances

 

affections

 

sailed

 
arrival

ceremony

 

object

 
kindly
 

proposal

 

consequence

 

affianced

 

represented

 

faithless

 

passage

 

respected


circle

 

friends

 

seventy

 
unjustly
 

aspersed

 

admirers

 
ultimate
 

deformity

 
circumstance
 

explain


approaching

 
hesitation
 

appearance

 
unprepossessing
 

memory

 

expense

 
Scotland
 

version

 

offered

 

coldness