Hamilton Paul (10 April 1773 – 28 February 1854) was a Scottish church minister, and a writer, poet and humourist. In 1819 he edited the works of
Robert Burns
Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the List of national poets, national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the be ...
.
Life
Paul was born on 10 April 1773 in the parish of
Dailly
Dailly () is a village in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is located on the Water of Girvan, south of Maybole, and east of Old Dailly. "New Dailly", as it was originally known, was laid out in the 1760s as a coal-mining village. In 1849 a fire br ...
, Ayrshire. He attended the parish school, and afterwards went to the
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...
, where he had as class-companion Thomas Campbell the poet, with whom he successfully competed for a prize poem. The two poets corresponded long after they had left Glasgow. Leaving the university, Paul became tutor in an Argyllshire family; but his literary bent induced him to become a partner in a printing establishment at Ayr, and for three years he edited the ''
Ayr Advertiser
The ''Ayr Advertiser'' is a weekly Scottish local newspaper, serving the community of South Ayrshire with local news, issues and sports coverage. The Ayr Advertiser was founded in 1803, originally entitled the ''"Air Advertiser, or, West Country ...
''. Licensed to preach by the presbytery in July 1800, he became assistant at
Coylton
Coylton () is a village and civil parish in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is east of Ayr and west of Drongan, on the A70 road, A70. Sundrum Castle Holiday Park is to the west of the village, in the grounds of Sundrum Castle, which partly date ...
that year, and occupied several similar positions until 1813, when he was presented with the united livings of Broughton, Kilbucho, and Glenholm in
Peeblesshire
Peeblesshire (), the County of Peebles or Tweeddale is a Counties of Scotland, historic county of Scotland. Its county town is Peebles, and it borders Midlothian to the north, Selkirkshire to the east, Dumfriesshire to the south, and Lanarkshire ...
. He died, unmarried, on 28 February 1854, in Broughton.
Works
When at the university Paul had a reputation for improvising witty verses, some of which had a wide college popularity. His first volume of verse, published in 1800, was entitled ''Paul's First and Second Epistles to the Dearly Beloved the Female Disciples or Female Students of Natural Philosophy in Anderson's Institution, Glasgow''. In 1805 he published a rhymed pamphlet in favour of vaccination ("Vaccination, or Beauty Preserved").
In 1819 he edited the works of
Robert Burns
Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the List of national poets, national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the be ...
, contributing a memoir and ode in memory of the poet. The first of the
Burns Clubs
Burns Clubs exist throughout the world to encourage and cherish the memory of Robert Burns, to foster a love of his writings and generally to encourage an interest in the Scots language, Scots Language and Literature.Auld Brig O' Doon, famous in '' Tam o' Shanter''.
His many effusions were scattered among the newspapers and magazines of his day, and were not collected. He wrote the account of his parish in the ''
New Statistical Account of Scotland
The ''Statistical Accounts of Scotland'' are a series of documentary publications, related in subject matter though published at different times, covering life in Scotland in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
The ''Old (or First) Statistica ...
'' (vol. iii.) Among his friends his reputation as a humourist and story-teller was greater than as a poet. Even in the pulpit he could not be grave, and it is said that his sermons, though learned and able, were preached from texts humorously selected, and were interspersed with jests.
National Galleries of Scotland
The National Galleries of Scotland (, sometimes also known as National Galleries Scotland) is the executive non-departmental public body that controls the three national galleries of Scotland and two partner galleries, forming one of the Nation ...