Archibald Crawfurd

Archibald Crawfurd
Born	1785 Ayr, Scotland
Died	1843-01-06 Ayr, Scotland
Occupation(s)	Poet, businessman, auctioneer
Years active	Early 19th century
Known for	Poetry, Tales of My Grandmother, The Gaberlunzie (editor)
Notable work	Bonnie Mary Hay, St. James's in an Uproar, Tales of My Grandmother

Archibald Crawfurd (1785–1843) was a poet from Scotland.

Life

Crawfurd was born in Ayr and became an orphan at the age of eight. At twelve, he began an apprenticeship as a baker in London. After completing eight years in this trade, he returned to Ayr and briefly took writing lessons at Ayr Academy. Subsequently, he gained employment in Edinburgh, first with Charles Hay and later with General Alexander Leith Hay of Rannes.

In 1811, he established a grocery store in Ayr and eventually expanded his ventures to include auctioneering and furniture sales. Around 1825, Crawfurd helped launch the weekly publication The Correspondent. Following internal conflicts, he assumed editorial responsibilities for The Gaberlunzie, which published sixteen issues.

He passed away in Ayr on 6 January 1843.

Works

Crawfurd composed the song Bonnie Mary Hay in tribute to General Hay's daughter, who nursed him through typhus fever. This piece appeared in the Ayr and Wigtownshire Courier and was musically arranged by Robert Archibald Smith.

In 1819, he anonymously released the political satire St. James's in an Uproar, which sold approximately 3,000 copies locally and sparked debate. That same year, he began submitting both prose and poetry to the Ayr and Wigtownshire Courier. His narratives inspired by western Scottish folklore were compiled into Tales of My Grandmother (1824), later expanded into two volumes by Archibald Constable & Co. in 1825.

His contributions to The Gaberlunzie featured stories and poems including Scotland, I have no home but thee, which was also set to music. In his later life, Crawfurd wrote for the Ayr Advertiser. In 1861, James Paterson edited and provided annotations for his works in the collection titled The Huntly Casket, and other Tales and Lyrics; with Reminiscences of the Author.

Family

He married Catherine Craig. Their second son was the artist William Crawford.

Notes

Attribution