Crockett

Crockett, SAMUEL RUTHERFORD, novelist, was born of farmer stock near New Galloway in Kirkcudbright in 1859, and educated at Castle-Douglas and Edinburgh University, becoming in 1886 Free Church minister at Penicuik, near Edinburgh. He resigned his charge for a purely literary career in 1895. From his college years, and during a residence abroad as tutor, he contributed to the periodicals, especially verse. A volume of poems, Dulce Cor, appeared in 1886, and in 1893 their author attained to fame by the sketches collected under the title of The Stickit Minister (illustrated ed. 1894). The Galloway story of moors, mountains, outlaws, kidnapping, and adventure, The Raiders, achieved great success in 1894, and was followed by Mad Sir Ughtred, The Lilac Sunbonnet, The Play Actress, Bog Myrtle and Peat, The Men of the Moss Hags, Sweethcart Travellers, Cleg Kelly, The Grey Man, Lad's Love, Lochinvar (1897), &c. He is a copious contributor to the magazines.