2063 H5S6 A = s A sou -L. ==— ^ ===^ XI ION 4 ^ 8 2 ==== 33 4 3 = 5 7 THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES ; BIBLIOGRAPHY of Works relating to, or published in, Hawick with an Appendix containing a List of Hawick Newspapers, Local Maps, and Music BY JAMES SINTON HAWICK VAIR & McNAIRN, "NEWS" OFFICE 1908 z — 2Q6h ^ BIBLIOGRAPHY of Works relating to, or published in, Hawick; with an X ^ Appendix containing a List of Hawick Newspapers, Local flaps, and flusic. By James Sinton, Edinburgh. When printing was first introduced into would not only seem that he already had some Hawick, in or about the year 1781, the town connection with this place, but also that he had was a very primitive place of about 2800 established a press in Edinburgh previous to inhabitants. Beautifully situated at the con- the one in Hawick. Probably on account of fluence of the Slitrig and Teviot, and surrounded competition in the capital, he thought he would on every side by majestic hills, it presented a better his position by removing to Hawick. But strikingly picturesque appearance. The old evidently he did not meet with the success he Tower of the Barons of Drumlanrig, with the anticipated, for it appears that about the end Parish Church of St Mary's situated on a of the eighteenth century he transferred his prominent eminence, and the Moathill near by, printing outfit back to Edinburgh, where he all conspicuous landmarks, would give a char- remained in business, I believe, until 1822. In acteristic appearance to the town, which then confirmation of this I find that " George Caw, consisted of quaint but strongly-built houses. printer, Liberton Wynd," appears in the The majority of these were thatched, and thus Edinburgh Directory for 1805-6 (the earliest I lent an old-world aspect to the place. Its could procure) ; and this entry is continued distinctive feature is its picturesque situation down to 1821, after which it appears in the year among the hills, and on the banks of the sylvan 1822-3 as "Caw & Elder, Lyon Close, High Teviot. Sir Walter Scott's beautiful lines in Street." After this it drops out altogether, the the "Lay of the Last Minstrel," written as latest date being presumably the year of his they were when the river was not yet polluted death. with the residua from the numerous factories, The first book bearing Caw's imprint of which not inaptly applied to it a century ago : I have any record was published in Hawick in 1783, and is entitled " The True State of the " Sweet Teviot ! on thy silver tide unhappy controversy about the Burgess Oath, The glaring bale-fires blaze no more ; being a discourse delivered before the Associate No longer steel-clad warriors ride Presbytery of Earlston, at Kelso, the 8th day of willow'd shore Along thy wild and ; October 1782, etc., by John Young. Hawick: Where'er thou wind'st, by dale or hill. printed by George Caw. Sold by the Author, All, all is peaceful, all is still, and at the printing oflBce, East End of the As if thy waves, since Time was born, town. M,Dcc,Lxxxiii." 12mo, pp. iv., 60. Since first they roll'd upon the Tweed, This was followed in 1784 by "A display of Had only heard the shepherd's reed, genuine Christianity, and Christian love, &c. Nor started at the bugle-horn." By the late Reverend James Hervey, A.M. Hawick : Printed and sold by Geo. Caw. Sold first printer was George Caw, of whom Its also by Messrs James Ekron, Hawick ; C. Elliot, few notices are extant, and regarding whom the Edinburgh, &c. m,dcc,lxxxiv." 12mo, pp. iv., historians of Hawick are strangely silent. In 156. A copy of this little volume which lies his " Annals of Hawick" James Wilson merely before me has the following quaint inscription mentions that " in this (1782) or the preceding in the autograph of one of the Hawick pub- year a printing-press was introduced by Mr lishers of the work : George Caw. One of its earliest productions " When this you see, was ' The Poetical Museum,' containing, Remember me, amongst others, Eskdale, a poem by the late James Ekron." Thomas Telford, engineer, published in 1784." In making some researches for fuller informa- In the same year Caw's " Poetical Museum" tion regarding this printer, my attention was appeared, which was one of the better known of directed to the fact that in a list of subscribers' the early Hawick-printed books. Many of the names appended to the second volume of Border ballads — afterwards utilised by Sir " Sermons on Various Important Subjects," by Walter Scott in the "Minstrelsy of the the Rev. John Young, minister of Hawick, Scottish Border"—were first published in this which was printed in Edinburgh in 1780, there collection, which was a highly creditable pro- appears the name, " George Caw, printer, duction for Hawick at that period. Of two Edinburgh. " If this was the same printer, it copies which I have recently examined, one has 76650^^ (2) a TigDette frontispiece entitled •'Nancy of the ments, I take the liberty of dedicating to you, Dale," while the other has a copperplate engrav- as the constituted authorities of my native ing of a different subject, but bears no title. town, under the hope that, should you discover Others seem to have been issued without any in it any merit, you will extend to it your embellishment of this nature, but the point of public support and patronage. The piece com- special bibliographical interest is the suppression prises the battle of Flodden, that proved so " in some copies of an epigram entitled Modern disastrous to Caledonia ; together with a short Chastity" (p. 380) and the substitution of sketch of a heroic attack made by the youth of " Acrostic by a young girl in Hawick." The Hawick, by night upon the English, in which last book from Caw's Hawick press which I have the latter lost their standard and were com- been able to trace was the Rev. Thomas Boston's pletely routed. Mustered as you are so soon to " View of the Covenant of Grace," published in be under the banner of your Cornet, may the 1788. It can only be a matter of conjecture, song of an obscure bard gi ^e interest to that but it is more than likely that shortly after this occasion ! may it inspire you with the belief period he gave up business in Hawick and that, from times of even seeming barbarity, we removed his printing material to Edinburgh. I have derived not merely the early principles of have no evidence that he carried on business in our patriotism, but many other important Hawick and Edinburgh contemporaneously. advantages! and, when it recalls to your minds Another printer, who flourished nearly two the warlike achievements of your ancestors, decades later, was Kobert Armstrong. He may it tend to foster in your breasts not only was a lineal descendant of the celebrated the love of your country, but an ardent zeal for Johnnie Armstrong of Gilnockie, and grandson the protection of your native rights and of the Rev. Robert Riccalton, minister of privileges." There is another very rare edition, Hobkirk. He was first apprenticed to Dr James probably the third, in the possession of Mr Wilson, a surgeon in Hawick. When a young Adam Laing, Burgh Chamberlain, entitled " man he worked at Kelso in the office of Flodden Field and the Colour ; or, Hawick the "British Chronicle," conducted by Mr Common-Riding," printed by R. Armstrong in Palmer ; but subsequently he commenced busi- 1829, 6 pp., but it does not bear the author's ness in Hawick on his own account as printer name. There is attached to this copy an old and bookseller. In 1809 he became postmaster MS. of the original air of " Teribus," as played in succession to Miss Inglis, which appoint- by Walter Ballantyne, town piper, in 1777. ment he held in conjunction with his printing Another early edition was printed in Edinburgh business till his death, on 7th July 1852, at the in 183G by John Elder, High Street, and sold age of eighty-three. His publications, forty- by Walter Elder, bookbinder, Hawick, and con- four of which are recorded in my list, extend taining a list of the Cornets from 1719 to 1835. over a period of fifty years. The first in order During the past few years the Hawick issued from his press, so far as I have been publishing trade has reached the height of its able to learn, was one of the poetical works of vigour, and its activity still continues. The ' James Ruickbie, entitled ' An Elegy on the most successful, pretentious, and widely-known death of Whisky," a small pamphlet of 8 pp. of the productions in recent times are Mrs published in 1801. In 1811 he edited and Oliver of Thorn wood's " Upper Teviotdale and published a fine collection of songs under the the Scotts of Buccleuch," Messrs Craig and title of " Banquet of Euphrosyne," which met Laing's "The Hawick Tradition of 1514," and with a very favourable reception. Though Mr Winning's edition of Captain Walter Scot's undoubtedly a good anthology of Scottish and " True History of the name of Scot." To the English songs, it has one grave defect, well-known and old-established firm of Messrs especially for a collection emanating from a W. & J. Kennedy the increase and vitality of Hawick press — it does not contain a single the Hawick publishing trade owe much ; and piece by Dr John Leyden, the poet of Teviot- it is safe to say that its capability of expansion dale.