Scotland Today

Sir Walter Scott was born on August 15, 1771 in Edinburgh Scotland. He is merited for inventing the historical novel. In 1773, Scott suffered from polio which left him with a permanent limp. He attended Edinburgh University for three years but had to leave due to the health issues that plagued him for his entire life.

In 1792 he became a lawyer after much pressure from his father. His first poems were published in 1796, including The Chase and William and Helen. The next year, Scott married Charlotte Carpentier; they had two daughters and a son. By 1809, Scott was a half owner in Ballantyne’s, the publishing company. Unfortunately, it failed and was bought out by Constable. Constable, which had become his publisher, also failed in 1826 causing him many money problems.

Scott and his family moved into Abbotsford in 1812. Two years later, his first novel, Waverly, was published anonymously. It became one of the most popular books in Great Britain. Scott became quite a prolific writer of novels and published at least one a year from 1816-1829. In 1818, Walter Scott became a baron. He died at his home in Abbotsford on September 21, 1832.

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