Ballantyne, JAMES

Ballantyne, JAMES (1772-1833) and JOHN (1774-1821), Scott's printers, were the sons of a merchant of Kelso, where in 1783 they were both at school with Sir Walter. James was bred for the law, but in 1797 he started the Tory Kelso Mail; and in 1802, having already printed some ballads for Scott, he produced the first two volumes of the Border Minstrelsy. The beauty of their typography established his fame as a printer; and towards the close of that year he removed, at Scott's suggestion, to Edinburgh, and set up two presses near Holyrood. In 1805 Scott became a secret partner in the business, which in 1808 expanded into the printing, publishing, and book-selling firm of John Ballantyne & Co., Scott having one-half share, and each of the brothers one-fourth. 'Aldiborontiphoscophornio' and 'Rigdumfunnidos' were Scott's nicknames for pompous James and sporting John; he seems to have liked them both, though sometimes he might plead 'For heaven's sake, treat me as a man, and not as a milch cow.' As early as 1813, bankruptcy threatened the firm, and though its unsaleable stock (Scott's own rash ventures mainly) was disposed of to Constable in 1818, it was hopelessly involved in Constable's ruin (1826). John had died bankrupt five years earlier; and James, after the settlement of affairs, was employed by the creditors' trustees in editing the Weekly Journal, and in the literary management of the printing-office. See works referred to under SCOTT; and History of the Ballantyne Press (Edin. 1871).