Margaret Chalmers
Encyclopedia
Margaret Chalmers, poet, self-styled "first British Thulian quill", was born on the 12th of December 1758 in Lerwick
. Her father William is said to have been the son of a Lord Provost
of Aberdeen
, factor to Earl of Morton and tacksman
of various local estates. Her mother Catherine (Kitty) Irvine was born in Trondra
in 1734. Margaret had four sisters and a brother, William, who joined the navy and was killed, aged thirty-five, in the battle of Trafalgar
.
The death of her father is not recorded, but by time of Trafalgar her mother and one of the sisters were bedridden and the family was living in penury. Petitions were raised in the hope of securing a government pension, but these failed.
Following the lead of her younger fellow Lerwegian poetess Dorothea Primrose Campbell
, whose life was similarly marred by poverty, Margaret arranged to publish her poetry by subscription and her solitary book was published in Newcastle in 1813, after long delays during which many subscribers lost interest. The book was poorly printed, but it brought the interest of Sir Walter Scott
. However, it did not garner the profit she had hoped for. In 1816 she applied instead to the Royal Literary Fund, which awarded her the sum of ten pounds.
She died in Lerwick on the 12th of March, 1827.
Lerwick
Lerwick is the capital and main port of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, located more than 100 miles off the north coast of mainland Scotland on the east coast of the Shetland Mainland...
. Her father William is said to have been the son of a Lord Provost
Lord Provost
A Lord Provost is the figurative and ceremonial head of one of the principal cities of Scotland. Four cities, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, have the right to appoint a Lord Provost instead of a provost...
of Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, factor to Earl of Morton and tacksman
Tacksman
A tacksman was a land-holder of intermediate legal and social status in Scottish Highland society.-Tenant and landlord:...
of various local estates. Her mother Catherine (Kitty) Irvine was born in Trondra
Trondra
Trondra is one of the Scalloway Islands, a subgroup of the Shetland Islands in Scotland. It shelters the harbour of Scalloway and has an area of .-History:...
in 1734. Margaret had four sisters and a brother, William, who joined the navy and was killed, aged thirty-five, in the battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
.
The death of her father is not recorded, but by time of Trafalgar her mother and one of the sisters were bedridden and the family was living in penury. Petitions were raised in the hope of securing a government pension, but these failed.
Following the lead of her younger fellow Lerwegian poetess Dorothea Primrose Campbell
Dorothea Primrose Campbell
Dorothea Primrose Campbell was a poet and novelist, born in Lerwick Shetland. Her father Duncan was a surgeon who had married one of the Scotts of Scottshall in Scalloway, Elizabeth, the eldest of a large family....
, whose life was similarly marred by poverty, Margaret arranged to publish her poetry by subscription and her solitary book was published in Newcastle in 1813, after long delays during which many subscribers lost interest. The book was poorly printed, but it brought the interest of Sir Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
. However, it did not garner the profit she had hoped for. In 1816 she applied instead to the Royal Literary Fund, which awarded her the sum of ten pounds.
She died in Lerwick on the 12th of March, 1827.
External links
Sources
- This article is based on http://shetlopedia.com/Margaret_Chalmers a GFDL wiki.