THE LATE MR WALTER LAIDLAW, F.S.A. (SCOT.), LL who know the beautiful Border town on the banks of the Jed, and the Abbey there, would regret to learn of the passing away of one whose name is so entwined with both that it is impossible to disassociate them. Mr Walter Laidlaw, the keeper of the famous old Abbey at Jedburgh, was no ordinary man, and to know him was to cherish an abiding love and respect for him. To the ordinary tourist he appeared as a man with a rich vein of humour, but to his friends or the keen antiquarian, historian, or botanist he was an intellectual man with whom it was a pleasure to associate. We knew him well and mourn his loss, alike for his true worth and the deep interest he took in the BORDER MAGAZINE and ourselves. A friend who knew him well thus writes:- "There is no doubt that had Mr Laidlaw had the advantages of a sound education, and the privilege of a University training, he would have risen to considerable distinction in some sphere of life. His memory was especially retentive, and was stored with choice selections of poetry. On one occasion he challenged a young friend to name any poet he liked and he would recite extempore a passage from his works. Thinking to puzzle him (for the poet knew no Latin) the friend named Virgil. But Walter, true to the spirit (if not the letter) of the subject, commenced without a moment's delay to recite a long choice piece of the spirited translation of Virgil's Eneid' by the poet Dryden." What follows is the admirable sketch of our departed Borderer which appeared in the "Jedburgh Gazette" of 10th February, 1911, also a letter and further notes. We are indebted to the proprietors of the paper for permission to reproduce what follows: Mr Walter Laidlaw, F.S.A. (Scot.), the keeper of Jedburgh Abbey, died at his residence, the Abbey Cottage, on Wednesday morning. He had suffered for a long time from an affection of the heart, and though he partially recovered at times, and resumed his duties and met his friends with his cordial and cheerful greeting, he had been seriously ill for some months, and was confined to his room. Latterly there was little hope of his again overcoming the weakness to which he was subject, and when he passed away quietly on Wednesday morning about three o'clock there was no feeling of surprise but the sincerest regret among the devoted friends who had tended him with care and affection throughout all the days of his illness. Mr Laidlaw was near the completion of his 73rd year. He was a member of an old Jedburgh family. His father was a shoemaker, and resided in the Townhead, where his son Walter was born on the 27th of March, 1838. The opportunities that Walter as a youth had in acquiring the ordinary branches of education were very limited. It was frequently subject of conjecture among the friends who in later life admired his gifts, whether with the aid of scholastic culture he might not have made his mark among men of eminence in intellectual spheres. His father, at least, fostered in him an ardent love for the Borderland and all his native country, and encouraged him in a taste for the cultivation of flowers, which in later life he developed to remarkable results. Walter entered the service of the Marquis of Lothian as an apprentice forester, and when he died he was still in the same service. It was a relationship that he always looked back upon with satisfaction and pride. He was loyal to the Lothian family, amid all the changes that naturally occurred in the course of his long service, and he always spoke of its members in terms of the highest regard. He had many evidences that he was fully trusted and greatly respected by them. Mr Laidlaw in his youth keenly sought the profit and instruction that he could find in books that came within his reach. It was not a systematic course of study, but the limitations of his choice tended to concentrate his attention on standard works. He had the valuable gift of a good memory, and stored up in it many gems of literature. The works of Homer, Addison, Milton, Campbell, and Burns were among the books that nourished his youthful desires and aspirations. Of that time he afterwards said- What a pleasure it was to me to enrich my mind with passages from these great writers. Often going along the quiet country lanes I would recite them to myself, taking pleasure in being able to commit page after page to memory.' Mr Laidlaw was employed as a forester in the Jedwater district for twenty years, and thereafter was transferred to Monteviot, the Roxburghshire seat of the Marquis of Lothian. He took advantage of his outdoor occupation for the study of natural history, and the knowledge he thus acquired remained with him in after life and was a source of great pleasure to himself and of instruction to others. After having been at Monteviot for six years, he was appointed keeper of Jedburgh Abbey, which is the property of the Marquis of Lothian. This was in 1882, and he had held the office at the time of his death for twenty-nine years, while his connection with the Lothian family had extended for considerably over half a century. Mr Laidlaw was by the gift of nature a poet, and the works of Robert Burns were read by him with avidity, and the spirit of the Ayrshire bard became in some measure his own. His admiration for Burns was shown in the wealth of illustration he could draw from his works. It was also manifested in the support he gave to the movement in Jedburgh for doing honour to the memory of the distinctively Scottish bard. He was one of a number of young men who assembled in the Nag's Head Inn (of which Mrs Douglas was the landlady) to celebrate the poet's birthday in 1869, and to form a Burns Club. Mr Laidlaw was elected chairman of that meeting, and in an address of considerable literary merit, embellished by quotations, he proposed The Immortal Memorv. His connection with the Burns Club was maintained with some intervals till the end of his days, and he held the position of honorary president in his last years. He gave addresses at the Burns celebration in 1871, 1872, 1873, 1871, 1875, and in the last-mentioned year, when the centenary of Dr Leyden was celebrated by the club, Mr Laidlaw proposed "The Undying Memory of Leyden." These addresses were afterwards published. In the meantime Mr Laidlaw had been sedulously wooing the Muse. He had the spirit of poetry, but the art required much cultivation, and in course of time he attained what was undoubtedly remarkable success in the circumstances of his life. His first effort was a description of the Battle of Lintalee. The enthusiasm of the martial hero touched him strongly, while his pride in the local traditions of bravery and patriotism was in itself an inspiration. "The Battle of Lintalee," which was improved in after years, was always a favourite with him, and he recited it with great spirit at social gatherings. Well remembered must be the vigour and glowing heartiness with which he delivered the lines Then shouted Douglas-"On, ye brave, For subjects of poems he drew, as in the instance given, from the history of the Borderland and from the rich scenery of his native Jedwater, as diversified by the various seasons of the year. There are among his writings love songs, too, and character portraits and sketches of customs which are not the least valuable of his productions. He has introduced names of men and places and descriptions of manners that will be read by other generations of Jedburgh people with peculiar interest. His volume of "Poetry and Prose had reached its third edition three years ago. This was testimony of the acceptance it had met with from his fellow-Borderers and others. themes of poetry. The old Border town of Jedburgh; the vale of Jedburgh; the neighbouring hill of Ruberslaw, and the neighbouring rivers of Tweed, Teviot, Rule; a few oldworld local characters-these go far towards completing the list of his subjects: a narrow field, but one which is saved from suspicion of scantiness-first, by the abounding natural beauties which it comprises, and for which the poet has so marked an affinity, and, secondly, by the stretching background or perspective of a rich historic past. So that the singer, wan The third edition was a handsome book, with many beautiful illustrations in it. His love of exact and artistic work was shown here, no less than his attachment to literature. Sir George Douglas wrote the introduction-a temperate and judicious appreciation of Mr. Laidlaw's work. He said: "The poems represent the gatherings of years; and as many of the years have been spent by the author literally beneath the shade or within the precincts of the Abbey, so it will be found that his muse has never strayed far from home in search for dering by Jed, dwells with delight not only on its sylvan banks and ruddy scaurs, but also on the strategy of the Good Sir James at Lintalee, the assault of Dessé upon Fernieherst, and the perilous ride of the fair hapless Mary, from a house still standing in the town, to visit her wounded subject-lover at Hermitage." This volume contained also Mr Laidlaw's prose writings, the chief of which were his articles on archæological subjects. His appointment to the post of curator of the Abbey, and the influences he came under in that con nection, gave an impetus to his prosecution of archæological studies. He had a commission from the late Marquis of Lothian to acquire objects of value for his lordship's museum at Monteviot, which comprises a most interesting collection. At the Roman Station at Cappuck, in Oxnamwater, Mr Laidlaw made some important discoveries. He personally superintended the excavations, and a paper contributed by him to the Proceedings of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club set forth concisely and clearly the results of the work. For these "Proceedings," Mr Laidlaw also wrote an account of his researches in regard to "Armorial Bearings and Interesting Inscriptions in Jedburgh and its Vicinity." To this paper he added a copy of "Laing's Seals of Jedburgh," as they exist in the British Museum. A paper on the historical and antiquarian importance of Old Jedward, written by Mr Laidlaw, was illustrated with a photograph of sculptured stones which he discovered there; and another article of his, which was published by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, described and beautifully illustrated "Sculptured and Inscribed Stones in Jedburgh and Vicinity." These are proofs of the useful service Mr Laidlaw rendered to the students of archæology, particularly in his own native district, which he loved so well that all that concerned its past history and its good name he searched for with diligence and cherished with care. he was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries his fellow-townsmen readily availed themselves of the opportunity to entertain him to a complimentary dinner, at which honour was done to him by the Provost and Magistrates and many of the principal citizens. Mr Laidlaw was also an Associate Member of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club and corresponding member of the Edinburgh Rymour Club and Hawick Archæological Society. When What a host of friends he had. Most of the people who came to visit the Abbey remembered with friendly feelings, his striking personality, his well-marked individuality, his genial manner, his ready repartee, his overflowing spirits, and the emphasis with which he related the history of the Abbey, and described its features. Many of the members of the Edinburgh Border Counties Association and most of the members of the Edinburgh Borderers' Union were his friends, who were always glad to meet him. In his native town and district Walter Laidlaw was an outstanding figure, and his passing will leave a void in the life of the community as a whole and in the individual life of a large proportion of its constituents. As a horticulturist, Mr Laidlaw held a high position, and was an eminently successful exhibitor at flower shows. He had won about 600 prizes for flowers of various kinds. He did not confine himself in his earlier days to local competitions, but proved the merit of his productions by winning prizes in Edinburgh. He could not only grow flowers to perfection, but possessed the skill and good taste which enabled him to exhibit them to the best advantage. He was for many years a prominent member and office-bearer in Jedburgh Horticultural Society, and was always among the foremost prize-winners at the annual exhibition. His skill in floral decoration was, on the occurrence of important public events, given ungrudgingly to the community. One of these occasions was the visit of Queen Victoria to Jedburgh in 1867, when he assisted in the erection of a magnificent flower arch which spanned the thoroughfare at the entrance to Market Place. In his younger days he occupied some leisure hours in the making of rustic vases for flowers. The cleverness with which he did this work illustrated his natural aptitude for artistic design and execution. One of his vases, which was specially constructed for the Edinburgh Exhibition held in 1886, was placed in a prominent position at the main entrance to the Exhibition and was greatly admired. For many years Mr Laidlaw was s an active member of Jedburgh Literary Association. He took a very keen interest in all affairs pertaining to his native town, was an ardent defender of its good name, an upholder of its privileges and time-honoured customs. In the days of his vigour, when the handba' was played in Castlegate, he would give his aid to the uppies, for the honour of the Townhead, with which he had so many early and enduring associations. He was a lover of books, and possessed a valuable collection of works especially relating to the history of the Border country. He spent freely in effort and money to secure rare and precious volumes. He had come into friendly relationship with many men of eminence in various walks of life, and he particularly cherished his associations with those who had achieved distinction in literature. The interest and appreciation he manifested were reciprocated, and he received many marks of friendship and goodwill. It was a pleasure to him to show his friends the presentation copies of works he had received from Mr Alfred |