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Joseph Train

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111:'s press it attracted the attention of Sir Walter Scott, who was especially interested in the "notes illustrative of traditions in Galloway and Ayrshire", and immediately wrote to Train asking to be included in the list of subscribers for eleven copies. After perusing the volume on its publication he also expressed to Train his appreciation of it, and more especially of the notes on old traditions; and requested him to communicate to him any "matters of that order" which he did not himself think of using. Train had already, with Captain James Denniston, begun to collect materials for a "History of Galloway", but from this time "he renounced every idea of authorship for himself", and resolved that "henceforth his chief pursuit should be collecting whatever he thought would be interesting" to Scott. Scott's obligations to him, which were very great, are acknowledged in different prefaces and notes. 279:. Owing, however, to the then prevailing custom of reserving the highest offices of the excise mainly for Englishmen, the efforts of Scott for the advancement of Train to the rank of general supervisor or collector were unsuccessful. Not only so, but owing to fictitious offences, manufactured it is said by an English official, Train was in 1824 "removed in censure" from Falkirk to be supervisor at Wigtown, and although afterwards he was appointed to Dumfries, he was, on account of a supposed negligence, reduced while at Dumfries from the rank of supervisor. After six months he was, however, on his own petition, restored to his former rank, being appointed in November 1827 supervisor at 124:, and at the same time communicated the tradition of the "wondrous light", which was introduced by Scott in the fifth canto of the poem. In the interest of Scott, Train states that he became "still more zealous in the pursuit of ancient lore", and that his love of old traditions became so notorious that "even beggars, in the hope of reward, came from afar to Newton Stewart to recite old ballads and relate old stories" to him. Much of the material could only be partially utilised by Scott, but there was an invaluable residuum. The romance of 54:, having seen the volumes in the bookseller's shop previous to their delivery, wished to purchase them, and, on being told that they had already been subscribed for by one of his own men, was so much pleased that he gave orders to have them handsomely rebound and sent to Train free of charge. Some time after the regiment was disbanded, he obtained for Train an agency for a manufacturing house in Glasgow, and in 1806–7 an appointment as supernumerary 479: 35:, Ayrshire, where his father was grieve and land-steward, in 1787 moving to the Townhead of Ayr, and becoming a day labourer. The boy, apprenticed to a weaver in Ayr, was interested in learning, particularly antiquarian and traditional lore. From 1799 he served in the Ayrshire militia, until the regiment was disbanded at 78:. But besides his official interest in the suppression of the traffic, he regarded the welfare of those engaged in it; and, convinced that the excessive resort to the practice in the Highlands was in part due to erroneous legislation, he prepared a "Paper on Smuggling", in which he argued against what was called the " 316:
of 10 July 1853 a visit which he paid to Train, states that his "little parlour was full of antiquities", and describes him as "a tall old man, with an autumnal red in his face, hale-looking, and of simple quaint manners". After his retirement from the excise in 1836, he took up his residence in a
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The death of Scott in 1832 made a great blank in the life of Train, but the absence of the accustomed stimulus did not lessen his interest in his old studies. Although he had presented Scott with many antiquarian relics, he still retained a rare and valuable collection of his own.
259:, she applied to Train for information regarding the flight of Mary through eastern Galloway after the battle of Langside, but any lingering traditions of this occurrence must be regarded as compounded more largely of fiction than of fact. 102:
in New Galloway, to which he was transferred in 1813, he had special opportunity for the collection of south-western tales and traditions. Several of these he wove into ballad narratives, which he published in 1814 under the title of
186:. All this is in addition to much and various antiquarian matter, which enriched in many ways the texture of Scott's romances. Train also sent to Scott numerous antique curiosities, including the 492: 343:, was published in 1848. He died on 7 December 1852. He had married in 1803 Mary, daughter of Robert Wilson, a gardener in Ayr, and they had five children. 236:
near Galloway, and of the Roman road from Dumfriesshire to Ayr. Train further succeeded in tracing the wall, of very ancient but unknown origin, called the
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as well as the adoption of the Claverhouse period for the scene of one of his fictions ". Old Mortality himself was mainly his discovery; but for him
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In 1820, through the representations of Scott to the lord advocate, Train was promoted to supervisor, the station to which he was appointed being
544: 458: 196:, which Lockhart thought probably led Scott to adopt the adventures of Rob Roy as one of his themes. He secured for Scott the 19:(6 November 1779 – 7 December 1852) was a Scottish excise officer, antiquarian, writer and poet. He corresponded with Sir 142:
was derived from one of his traditionary stories, and he furnished Scott with the prototype of Wandering Willie himself.
51: 534: 288: 228:, it being previously supposed that the Romans had never penetrated into Wigtownshire, nor further into Ayrshire than 82:" and the refusal to license stills of a capacity less than five hundred gallons. His suggestions, having through Sir 501: 437: 539: 347: 213: 329:, from the earliest time to the present date, with a view of its peculiar customs and popular superstitions 71: 201: 488: 427: 422: 182:
was suggested by his tale of Plunton, and he supplied the story on which Scott founded his last novel,
138: 283:. While there he supplied Scott with a variety of information for his notes to the new edition of the 197: 172: 50:, published in 1800. This proved a turning point to his fortunes. The colonel of the regiment, 529: 319: 301: 178: 116: 75: 524: 519: 256: 156: 151: 8: 32: 306: 272: 193: 188: 426: 377: 252: 121: 108: 36: 389: 312: 284: 381: 280: 237: 167: 99: 317:
cottage near Castle Douglas, where he occupied his leisure in contributing to
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begun in 1829. In November of the same year he was admitted a member of the
170:, and the bizarre apparition of Madge Wildfire would have been wanting from 331:(1845), and in writing an account of the local religious sect known as the 233: 232:. This included notices of the Roman post on the Blackwater of Dee, of the 229: 225: 83: 20: 326: 126: 496: 432: 332: 136:
owed its birth to a legendary ballad which he supplied. The outline of
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been placed before the board of excise in 1815, were finally adopted.
70:, dedicated to Hunter-Blair. In 1810 he was sent to Balnaguard in the 245: 241: 43: 23:, and his local knowledge provided Scott with ideas for his novels. 482: This article incorporates text from a publication now in the 221: 276: 505:. Vol. 57. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 151–152. 441:. Vol. 57. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 151–152. 376:(online ed.). Oxford University Press. 23 September 2004. 114:
When Train first corresponded with Scott, Scott was at work on
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had its germ in certain notes to Train's volume of poems.
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in Wigtownshire to the farm of Hightae in the parish of
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Train was born in 1779 at Gilminscroft in the parish of
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district, to aid in the suppression of smuggling in
176:had he not told Scott the story of Feckless Fanny. 120:and at his request Train sent him a description of 166:would have been ungraced by the quaint figure of 98:side in the Ayr district, and while there and at 511: 346:A monument to Train was unveiled in 1909 in the 200:, important objects of the Iron Age, now in the 66:In 1806 Train published his first set of poems, 46:he became a subscriber to Currie's edition of 271:, Fife, whence in 1822 he was transferred to 248:, Dumfriesshire, a distance of eighty miles. 220:, the earliest knowledge of Roman remains in 145: 325:Historical and Statistical Account of the 487: 421: 323:and other periodicals, in completing his 454: 452: 450: 448: 255:was collecting material for her life of 417: 415: 413: 411: 409: 407: 405: 403: 401: 399: 373:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 512: 365: 363: 445: 154:, we owe "the whole machinery of the 107:. While the work was passing through 396: 42:While the regiment was stationed at 360: 94:In 1811 Train was appointed to the 89: 13: 289:Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 208:History and prehistory of Scotland 14: 556: 462:Future Museum South West Scotland 341:The Wild Scot of Galloway: a Poem 337:The Buchanites from First to Last 61: 502:Dictionary of National Biography 477: 438:Dictionary of National Biography 545:People from Sorn, East Ayrshire 262: 1: 353: 348:McMillan Hall, Newton Stewart 294: 58:officer in the Ayr district. 464:. Retrieved 4 November 2022. 390:UK public library membership 105:Strains of the Mountain Muse 7: 489:Henderson, Thomas Finlayson 423:Henderson, Thomas Finlayson 202:National Museum of Scotland 37:the peace of Amiens in 1802 10: 561: 535:19th-century antiquarians 48:The Works of Robert Burns 198:Torrs Pony-cap and Horns 146:Sources of Scott's works 339:(1846). His last work, 173:The Heart of Midlothian 139:Wandering Willie's Tale 26: 382:10.1093/ref:odnb/27663 184:The Surgeon's Daughter 52:Sir David Hunter-Blair 540:Scottish antiquarians 428:"Train, Joseph"  234:Roman camp at Rispain 179:The Doom of Devorgoil 150:To him, according to 117:The Lord of the Isles 257:Mary, Queen of Scots 157:Tales of My Landlord 152:John Gibson Lockhart 335:, under the title 320:Chambers's Journal 212:Train supplied to 388:(Subscription or 370:"Train, Joseph". 307:Edinburgh Courant 275:, and in 1823 to 194:Rob Roy MacGregor 68:Poetical Reveries 552: 506: 481: 480: 465: 456: 443: 442: 430: 419: 394: 393: 385: 367: 304:, editor of the 253:Agnes Strickland 122:Turnberry Castle 90:Sir Walter Scott 560: 559: 555: 554: 553: 551: 550: 549: 510: 509: 478: 469: 468: 457: 446: 420: 397: 387: 369: 368: 361: 356: 313:Household Words 310:who records in 297: 285:Waverley Novels 265: 214:George Chalmers 210: 148: 92: 64: 29: 12: 11: 5: 558: 548: 547: 542: 537: 532: 527: 522: 508: 507: 467: 466: 459:"Joseph Train" 444: 395: 358: 357: 355: 352: 296: 293: 281:Castle Douglas 264: 261: 209: 206: 168:Edie Ochiltree 147: 144: 100:Newton Stewart 91: 88: 63: 62:Excise officer 60: 28: 25: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 557: 546: 543: 541: 538: 536: 533: 531: 528: 526: 523: 521: 518: 517: 515: 504: 503: 498: 494: 493:Train, Joseph 490: 485: 484:public domain 476: 475: 474: 473: 463: 460: 455: 453: 451: 449: 440: 439: 434: 429: 424: 418: 416: 414: 412: 410: 408: 406: 404: 402: 400: 391: 383: 379: 375: 374: 366: 364: 359: 351: 349: 344: 342: 338: 334: 330: 328: 322: 321: 315: 314: 309: 308: 303: 292: 290: 286: 282: 278: 274: 270: 260: 258: 254: 249: 247: 243: 239: 235: 231: 227: 223: 219: 215: 205: 203: 199: 195: 191: 190: 185: 181: 180: 175: 174: 169: 165: 164: 163:The Antiquary 159: 158: 153: 143: 141: 140: 135: 134: 133:Guy Mannering 129: 128: 123: 119: 118: 112: 110: 106: 101: 97: 87: 85: 81: 80:Highland Line 77: 73: 69: 59: 57: 53: 49: 45: 40: 38: 34: 24: 22: 18: 530:Walter Scott 500: 471: 470: 461: 436: 371: 345: 340: 336: 324: 318: 311: 305: 302:James Hannay 298: 266: 263:Later career 250: 230:Loudoun Hill 226:Wigtownshire 217: 216:, author of 211: 187: 183: 177: 171: 161: 155: 149: 137: 131: 125: 115: 113: 104: 93: 84:Walter Scott 67: 65: 47: 41: 30: 21:Walter Scott 17:Joseph Train 16: 15: 525:1852 deaths 520:1779 births 497:Lee, Sidney 472:Attribution 433:Lee, Sidney 327:Isle of Man 273:Queensferry 238:Deil's Dyke 127:Redgauntlet 76:Breadalbane 514:Categories 392:required.) 354:References 333:Buchanites 295:Last years 109:Ballantyne 491:(1899). " 246:Lochmaben 242:Loch Ryan 218:Caledonia 189:spleuchan 72:Aberfeldy 44:Inverness 425:(1899). 222:Ayrshire 499:(ed.). 486::  435:(ed.). 277:Falkirk 240:, from 495:". In 386: 251:While 56:excise 431:. In 269:Cupar 96:Largs 224:and 33:Sorn 27:Life 378:doi 192:of 516:: 447:^ 398:^ 362:^ 350:. 291:. 204:. 39:. 384:. 380::

Index

Walter Scott
Sorn
the peace of Amiens in 1802
Inverness
Sir David Hunter-Blair
excise
Aberfeldy
Breadalbane
Highland Line
Walter Scott
Largs
Newton Stewart
Ballantyne
The Lord of the Isles
Turnberry Castle
Redgauntlet
Guy Mannering
Wandering Willie's Tale
John Gibson Lockhart
Tales of My Landlord
The Antiquary
Edie Ochiltree
The Heart of Midlothian
The Doom of Devorgoil
spleuchan
Rob Roy MacGregor
Torrs Pony-cap and Horns
National Museum of Scotland
George Chalmers
Ayrshire

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