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Arbigland
Arbigland in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, lies on the coast of the Solway Firth, to the south-east of Kirkbean. It is the birthplace of John Paul Jones, the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. There is a birthplace museum in the cottage where he was born, donated by the Blackett family to the John Paul Jones Museum Trust in 1997. Classical mansion The Neoclassical architecture, classical-styled Arbigland House was built in 1755 by the improving lord, laird and gentleman architect William Craik (1703–98). His daughter, the poet and novelist Helen Craik (1751–1825), lived there until 1792. She was a friend and supporter of Robert Burns, who dined at the House. William's illegitimate son, James Craik, was the first Surgeon General of the United States Army, Physician General of the United States Army and personal physician of George Washington. It is a Category A listed building. Ga ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Helen Craik
Helen Craik (c. 1751 – 11 June 1825) was a Scottish poet and novelist, and a correspondent of Robert Burns. She praised him for being a "native genius, gay, unique and strong" in an introductory poem to his Glenriddell Manuscripts. Early life Helen Craik was born at Arbigland, Kirkbean in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire, probably in 1751, as one of the six legitimate children of William Craik (1703–1798), a laird keen to improve a large estate of relatively poor land, and his wife Elizabeth (died 1787), daughter of William Stewart of New Abbey, also near Dumfries. The naval captain John Paul Jones (1747–1792), who played a prominent part in founding the US navy, was also born at Arbigland. He was rumoured to be Helen Craik's father's illegitimate son. Suppositions that one of her sisters was the novelist Catherine Cuthbertson have not been substantiated. Craik was later to write an account of her father's life and agricultural innovations in the form of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |