Walter Scott

Sir Walter Scott and his home at Abbotsford
Sir Walter Scott (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832) was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet popular throughout Europe during his time. Born in College Wynd in the Old Town of Edinburgh in 1771, the son of a solicitor the young Walter Scott survived a childhood bout of polio in 1773 that would leave him lame. At the age of 25 he began dabbling in writing, translating works from German. In 1814 he published his novel Waverley, Rob Roy in 1817 and in 1819 Ivanhoe. He built a house near the site of the Battle of Melrose, called Abbotsford. In 1823 Edgeworth spent 2 weeks with Sir Walter Scott at Abbotsford, and in 1825 Scott visited her at Edgeworthstown, which had become a shrine at which all visitors to Ireland paid homage. Scott described his meeting with Maria as follows: he found her “full of fun and spirit; a little slight figure, very active, very good-humoured, and full of enthusiasm.”.