James Ballantine (11 June 1806 – 18 December 1877) was a Scottish artist and author, known for his

stained-glass window Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

s and poetry.

Early life and education

James Ballantine was born on 11 June 1806 in West Port,

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

. His father was a brewer who died when he was 10. He received little education and what he did know came from his mother or being self-taught. In his early teens he was apprenticed to a house painter in Edinburgh. Aged 20 he went to the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

Glass painting

After graduating, Ballantine turned his attention to the art of painting on glass. He quickly achieved high eminence in his field with his business Ballantine and Allan, and got the contract for painting the windows of the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

through a public competition. His 1845 book ''A treatise of Stained Glass'' became a standard work. His son, Alexander (1841–1906), later joined his stained-glass window business.James Ballantine and Son (about 1828 - about 1925)
– Stained Glass in Wales His works of stained glass included: *

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Dunoon Burgh Hall ''Chronicles'', issue 1
/ref> *Main hall at Dunoon Burgh Hall *

St John's Kirk St John's Kirk is a church in the Scottish city of Perth, Perth and Kinross. Of Church of Scotland denomination, it is located in St John's Place, just southeast of the city centre. It stands on the former site of a church dating to 1126. Today ...

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

''Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Graphic and Accurate Description of Every Place in Scotland''
Francis Hindes Groome (1901)

Writing

Ballantine started writing poetry at a young age and through the popular ''Gaberlunzie's Wallet'' (1842) became an established writer. He wrote poetry books and also a collection of his songs.

Death

He died on 18 December 1877 from a "congestion of the lungs" in Warrender Lodge, Meadows, Edinburgh.

Selected works

Fiction and drama

* ''The Gaberlunzie's Wallet.'' 1842.Edinburgh : J. Menzies. 348pp * ''The Miller of Deanhaugh'' . 1844. Edinburgh : J. Menzies. 312pp. * ''The Gaberlunzie: a Scotch drama adapted from the novel of The Gaberlunzies Wallet.'' 1858. Edinburgh : J. Menzies. iv+(5-43)pp.

Verse and songs

* ''Poems.'' 1856. Edinburgh : T. Constable. viii+312pp. * ''Verses for the Burns' centenary banquet, on the 25th January, 1859, in the Music Hall, Edinburgh.'' 1859. Edinburgh. 8pp. * ''One Hundred Songs .. With melodies original & selected.'' 1866. J. S. Marr: Glasgow. v+209pp. * ''Lilias Lee and other poems.'' 1871. William Blackwood and Sons. vi+276pp.

Other works

* ''Chronicle of the Hundredth Birthday of Robert Burns. Collected and edited by J. Ballantine ith a genealogical table'' 1859. Edinburgh & London. Fullarton & Co. vi+605pp. * ''A Treatise on Painted Glass, shewing its applicability to every style of architecture.'' 1845. Chapman & Hall: London; John Menzies: Edinburgh. 51pp+8Plates. * ''The Life of David Roberts, R.A. Compiled from his journals and other sources .. With etchings and facsimiles of pen-and-ink sketches by the artist.'' 1866. Edinburgh : Adam and Charles Black. xiv+255pp+ 9 etched plates+26 facsimiles of rough pen-and-ink sketches of pictures from Mr. Roberts' journal, portrait of Roberts and drawing of his birthplace. * ''A Visit to Buxton.'' 1873. J. C. Bates: Buxton. 22pp. * ''Sir James Falshaw, Bart .. Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, 1874-1877.'' 1910 Otto Schulze & Co.: Edinburgh. 25pp.

Contributions

* ''Essay on Ornamental Art as applicable to trade and manufactures.'' In. Leith (Samuel) The Tradesman's Book of Ornamental Designs. 1847. * ''Lays and Lyrics of Scotland, arranged with new Symphonies and Accompaniments for the Pianoforte by J. Fulcher. With a historical epitome of Scottish Song'' by J. Ballantine and an appendix of notes historical, biographical, and critical compiled by the publishers 1870. Glasgow. Swan & Pentland. xi+344pp.

References

Sources

* Murdoch, Alexander G. ''Recent and Living Scottish Poets''. 1883. pp154-156. * Edwards, D.H. ''Modern Scottish Poets''. Series 3, 1881. pp25–32. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ballantine, James Writers from Edinburgh 19th-century Scottish painters Scottish male painters 19th-century Scottish writers 1806 births 1877 deaths Alumni of the University of Edinburgh 19th-century Scottish male artists