Henry Scott Riddell
| Henry Scott Riddell | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
23 September 1798 Sorbie, Dumfries-shire, Scotland |
| Died | 30 July 1870 (aged 71) Teviothead, Roxburghshire, Scotland |
| Occupation |
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| Nationality | Scottish |
| Notable works |
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| Spouse | Eliza Clark |
| Children |
Walter Scott Riddell William Brown Clark Riddell Robert Henry Riddell |
Walter Scott Riddell William Brown Clark Riddell
Henry Scott Riddell (23 September 1798 – 30 July 1870) was a Scottish poet and songwriter. In the Scottish Orpheus, a collection of songs of Scotland by Adam Hamilton, he is credited with writing Scotland Yet and The Dowie Dens O' Yarrow.
Henry Scott Riddell was born on 23 September 1798 in Sorbie, near Langholm, Dumfries-shire, the third child of seven to Robert Riddell, a shepherd, and his wife Agnes (née Scott). His father was reportedly an associate of the Scottish poets James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd, who would occasionally visit their household and recite his own poetry to the children, and Walter Scott, as well as Sir Pulteney Malcolm. His elder brother, Borthwick Riddell, known as The Piper, was a locally renowned player of the bagpipes who notably played at the wedding of John Russell, 1st Earl Russell to Lady Frances Anna-Maria Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, daughter of Gilbert Elliot, 2nd Earl of Minto, on 20 July 1841. His younger brother, Robert Riddell, emigrated to Canada and was an early pioneer of Beverley Township in Ontario. He also participated in the Upper Canada Rebellion, coming to be known as The Chief, leading dozens of men from County Wentworth in a march to , Ontario.
The family lived in poverty and the young Riddell was subjected to hard labour during his upbringing. His education progressed slowly, and during his summers he worked as a herd in Deloraine near Buccleuch. He once wrote of his early education saying he progressed as much as any other boy "who love the foot-ball better than the spelling-book." During the winter he and his siblings were educated either at their home by visiting masters or boarded at schools in nearby Roberton or Hawick. In 1817, following the death of his father, Riddell began attending the parish school in nearby Biggar, where he met Eliza Clark, the daughter of a local merchant whom he would later marry. However, not yet independent he opted to finish his education before pursuing the marriage. While at Biggar school Riddell was a contributor to the ‘Clydesdale Magazine’ and wrote ‘The Crook and Plaid,’ one of his most successful songs inspired by a trip to Pinkie Cleugh, near Musselburgh, East Lothian. In 1819, he began attending the University of Edinburgh, where he was known to be an acquaintance of George Wilson, the Regius Professor of Engineering. He also studied at the University of St Andrews for at least a year under the tutelage of Thomas Chalmers and other eminent professors. Those that knew Riddell described him as an intelligent man but focused on poetry, often rising from bed late into the night to record his ideas.
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