Scott, Sir Walter, 1771-1832

Sir Walter Scott was born on August 15, 1771 in Edinburgh, Scotland to Walter Scott and Anne Rutherford. He had polio as a child, which left him lame, had an effect on his life and writing. With treatments at Bath and Prestonpans in his early years, by the time he went to the Royal High School in Edinburgh, he could walk well enough that he explored the city and surrounding countryside. A voracious reader thanks to his Aunt Jenny Scott, he read chivalric romances, poems, history, and travel books. Later, he attended the University of Edinburgh at the age of 12, younger than most students, where he first studied and apprenticed to be a Writer to the Signet, like his father. He returned to the University, however, when it was decided that he would become a lawyer instead. After completing his degree, he joined the Royal Edinburgh Volunteer Light Dragoons in 1797 and served as secretary and quartermaster into the early 1800’s. He married Charlotte Charpentier on Christmas Eve, 1797 and they had five children together. Around 1805, Scott began writing poetry in earnest and began with The Lay of the Last Minstrel. He also began writing novels, beginning with Waverly and his later works would include: Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, the epic poem The Lady of the Lake, and The History of Scotland Vol 1 & II. Sir Walter Scott died on September 21, 1832.