SOMERVILLE FAMILY--DR. SOMERVILLE'S CHARACTER--LETTERS--JOURNEY TO THE
LAKES--DEATH OF SIR WILLIAM FAIRFAX--REMINISCENCES OF SIR WALTER SCOTT.
[With regard to my father's family, I cannot do better than quote
what my grandfather, the Rev. Thomas Somerville, says in his "Life
and Times":--"I am a descendant of the ancient family of Somerville
of Cambusnethan, which was a branch of the Somervilles of Drum,
ennobled in the year 1424. Upon the death of George Somerville, of
Corhouse, fifty years ago, I became the only male representative of
the family." There is a quaint old chronicle, entitled "Memorie of
the Somervilles," written by James, eleventh Lord Somerville, who
died in 1690, which was printed for private distribution, and edited
by Sir Walter Scott, and gives ample details of all the branches of
our family. Although infinitely too prolix for our nineteenth
century ideas, it contains many curious anecdotes and pictures of
Scottish life.
My father was the eldest son of the minister of Jedburgh, and until
his marriage with my mother, had lived almost entirely abroad and in
our colonies. It was always a subject of regret to my mother that my
father never could be induced to publish an account of his important
travels in South Africa, for which he had ample materials in the
notes he brought home, many of which we still possess. Without being
very deeply learned on any one special subject, he was generally
well-informed, and very intelligent. He was an excellent classical
scholar, and could repeat long passages from Horace and other
authors. He had a lively interest in all branches of natural
history, was a good botanist and mineralogist, and could take note
of all the strange animals, plants, or minerals he saw in his
adventurous journies in the countries, now colonized, but then the
hunting-grounds of Caffres and other uncivilized tribes. He was the
first white man who penetrated so far into the country, and it was
not without great risk. Indeed, on one occasion he was sentenced to
death by a Caffre chief, and only saved by the interposition of the
chief's mother.
My father's style in writing English was singularly pure and
correct, and he was very fastidious on this topic--a severe critic,
whether in correcting the children's lessons or in reading over the
last proof sheets of my mother's works previous to their
publication. These qualities would have fitted him very well to
write the history of his travels, but he disliked the trouble of it,
and, never having the slightest ambition on his own account, he let
the time for publication slip by. Others travelled over the country
he first explored, and the novelty was at an end. He was far happier
in helping my mother in various ways, searching the libraries for
the books she required, indefatigably copying and recopying her
manuscripts, to save her time. No trouble seemed too great which he
bestowed upon her; it was a labour of love. My father was most
kindhearted, and I have often heard my mother say how many persons
he had assisted in life, and what generous actions he had done,
many of them requited with ingratitude, and with betrayal of
confidence. From the way my mother speaks of their life, it can be
seen how happy was their marriage and how much sympathy there was
between them. Speaking of his son's marriage with my mother, the
Rev. Dr. Somerville says, in his "Life and Times," page 390: "To
myself this connection was on every account peculiarly gratifying.
Miss Fairfax had been born and nursed in my house; her father being
at that time abroad on public service. She afterwards often resided
in my family, was occasionally my scholar, and was looked upon by me
and my wife as if she had been one of our own children. I can truly
say, that next to them she was the object of our most tender regard.
Her ardent thirst for knowledge, her assiduous application to study,
and her eminent proficiency in science and the fine arts, have
procured her a celebrity rarely obtained by any of her sex. But she
never displays any pretensions to superiority, while the affability
of her temper, and the gentleness of her manners afford constant
sources of gratification to her friends. But what, above all other
circumstances, rendered my son's choice acceptable to me, was that
it had been the anxious, though secret, desire of my dear wife." I
have already said that this esteem and affection of her
father-in-law was warmly responded to by my mother. The following
letter from her to him shows it vividly:--]
LETTER FROM MRS. SOMERVILLE TO THE REV. DR. SOMERVILLE.
EDINBURGH, _1st June, 1812_.
MY DEAR SIR,
I have this moment been gratified and delighted with your excellent
and affectionate letter; the intercourse we have so long enjoyed has
always been a source of the purest pleasure to me, and the kind
interest you have taken from my infancy in my welfare was at all
times highly flattering, and much valued; but now that the sacred
name of Father is added, nothing is wanting to complete my
happiness; and you may rest assured that William is not more anxious
to hasten our visit to Jedburgh than I am.... With the affectionate
love of all here,
I remain your ever most affectionate daughter,
MARY SOMERVILLE.
P.S.--I am much flattered by the Latin quotation, and feel happy
that your instructions have enabled me to read it.
* * * * *
[I will now proceed with the extracts from my mother's
Recollections:--]
* * * * *
My husband had been present at the taking of the Cape of Good Hope, and
was sent by the authorities to make a treaty with the savage tribes on
the borders of the colony, who had attacked the boors, or Dutch farmers,
and carried off their cattle. In this journey he was furnished with a
waggon and accompanied by Mr. Daniel, a good artist, who made drawings
of the scenery, as well as of the animals and people. The savage tribes
again became troublesome, and in a second expedition my cousin was only
accompanied by a faithful Hottentot as interpreter. They were both
mounted, and each led a spare horse with such things as were absolutely
necessary, and when they bivouacked where, for fear of the natives, they
did not dare light a fire to keep off the wild beasts, one kept watch
while the other slept. After many adventures and dangers, my husband
reached the Orange River, and was the first white man who had ever been
in that part of Africa. He afterwards served in Canada and in Sicily at
the head of the medical staff, under his friend General Sir James Craig.
On returning to England he generally lived in London, so that he was
seldom with his family, with whom he was not a favourite on account of
his liberal principles, the very circumstance that was an attraction to
me. He had lived in the world, was extremely handsome, had gentlemanly
manners, spoke good English, and was emancipated from Scotch prejudices.
I had been living very quietly with my parents and children, so until I
was engaged to my cousin I was not aware of the extreme severity with
which my conduct was criticised by his family, and I have no doubt by
many others; for as soon as our engagement was known I received a most
impertinent letter from one of his sisters, who was unmarried, and
younger than I, saying, she "hoped I would give up my foolish manner of
life and studies, and make a respectable and useful wife to her
brother." I was extremely indignant. My husband was still more so, and
wrote a severe and angry letter to her; none of the family dared to
interfere again. I lived in peace with her, but there was a coldness and
reserve between us ever after. I forgot to mention that during my
widowhood I had several offers of marriage. One of the persons whilst he
was paying court to me, sent me a volume of sermons with the page
ostentatiously turned down at a sermon on the Duties of a Wife, which
were expatiated upon in the most illiberal and narrow-minded language. I
thought this as impertinent as it was premature; sent back the book and
refused the proposal.
My uncle, the Rev. Dr. Somerville, was delighted with my marriage with
his son, for he was liberal, and sincerely attached to me. We were
married by his intimate friend, Sir Henry Moncreiff Wellwood, and set
off for the lakes in Cumberland. My husband's second sister, Janet,
resolved to go with us, and she succeeded through the influence of my
aunt, now my mother-in-law--a very agreeable, but bold, determined
person, who was always very kind and sincerely attached to me. We were
soon followed by my cousin, Samuel Somerville and his wife. We had only
been a day or two in the little inn at Lowood when he was taken ill of a
fever, which detained us there for more than a month. During his illness
he took a longing for currant jelly, and here my cookery was needed; I
made some that was excellent, and I never can forget the astonishment
expressed at my being able to be so useful.
Somerville and I proceeded to London; and we managed to obtain a good
position near Temple Bar to see the Emperor of Russia, the King of
Prussia and his sons, Blucher, Platoff, the Hetman of the Cossacks, &c.,
&c., enter the City. There was a brilliant illumination in the evening,
and great excitement. We often saw these noted persons afterwards, but
we did not stay long in London, as my husband was appointed head of the
Army Medical Department in Scotland, so we settled in Edinburgh. As he
was allowed to have a secretary, he made choice of Donald Finlayson, a
young man of great learning and merit, who was to act as tutor to my
son, Woronzow Greig, then attending the High School, of which Mr.
Pillans was master. Mr. Finlayson was a remarkably good Greek scholar,
and my husband said, "Why not take advantage of such an opportunity of
improvement?" So I read Homer for an hour every morning before
breakfast. Mr. Finlayson joined the army as surgeon, and distinguished
himself by his courage and humanity during the battle of Waterloo; but
he was lost in the march of the army to Paris, and his brother George,
after having sought for him in vain, came to live with us in his stead.
He excelled in botany, and here again, by my husband's advice, I devoted
a morning hour to that science, though I was nursing a baby at the time.
I knew the vulgar name of most of the plants that Mr. Finlayson had
gathered, but now I was taught systematically, and afterwards made a
herbarium, both of land plants and fuci. This young man's hopeful career
was early arrested by his love of science, for he died of jungle fever
in Bengal, caught while in search of plants.
Professor Playfair was now old, and resigned his chair, which Mr. Leslie
was perfectly competent to fill on account of his acknowledged
scientific acquirements; but, being suspected of heretical opinions, his
appointment was keenly opposed, especially on the part of the clergy,
and a violent contest arose, which ended in his favour. We became
acquainted with him and liked him. He was a man of original genius,
full of information on a variety of subjects, agreeable in conversation
and good natured, but with a singular vanity as to personal appearance.
Though one of the coarsest looking men I ever knew, he talked so much of
polish and refinement that it tempted Mr. William Clerk, of Eldin, to
make a very clever clay model of his ungainly figure. The professor's
hair was grey, and he dyed it with something that made it purple; and,
as at that time the art was not brought to its present perfection, the
operation was tedious and only employed at intervals, so that the
professor's hair was often white at the roots and dark purple at the
extremities. He was always falling in love, and, to Somerville's
inexpressible amusement, he made me his decoy duck, inviting me to see
some experiments, which he performed dexterously; at the same time
telling me to bring as many young ladies as I chose, especially
Miss----, for he was sure she had a turn for science. He was unfortunate
in his aspirations, and remained a bachelor to the end of his life.
* * * * *
It was the custom in Edinburgh, especially among the clergy, to dine
between the morning and evening service on Sundays, and to sup at nine
or ten o'clock. In no family were these suppers more agreeable or
cheerful than in that of Sir Henry Moncreiff Wellwood, minister of the
West Kirk. There were always a few of the friends of Sir Henry and Lady
Moncreiff present, and we were invited occasionally. There was a
substantial hot supper of roasted fowls, game, or lamb, and afterwards a
lively, animated conversation on a variety of subjects, without a shade
of austerity, though Sir Henry was esteemed an orthodox preacher.
There was an idiot in Edinburgh, the son of a respectable family, who
had a remarkable memory. He never failed to go to the Kirk on Sunday,
and on returning home could repeat the sermon word for word, saying,
Here the minister coughed, Here he stopped to blow his nose. During the
tour we made in the Highlands we met with another idiot who knew the
Bible so perfectly that if you asked him where such a verse was to be
found, he could tell without hesitation, and repeat the chapter. The
common people in Scotland at that time had a kind of serious compassion
for these harmless idiots, because "the hand of God was upon them."
The wise as well as the foolish are sometimes endowed with a powerful
memory. Dr. Gregory, an eminent Edinburgh physician, one of the
cleverest and most agreeable men I ever met with, was a remarkable
instance of this. He wrote and spoke Latin fluently, and Somerville,
who was a good Latinist, met with a Latin quotation in some book he was
reading, but not knowing from whence it was taken, asked his friend Dr.
Gregory. "It is forty years since I read that author," said Dr. Gregory,
"but I think you will find the passage in the middle of such a page."
Somerville went for the book, and at the place mentioned there it was.
* * * * *
I had the grief to lose my dear father at this time. He had served
sixty-seven years in the British Navy, and must have been twice on the
North American station, for he was present at the taking of Quebec by
General Wolfe, in 1759, and afterwards during the War of Independence.
After the battle of Camperdown he was made a Colonel of Marines, and
died, in 1813, Vice-Admiral of the Red.
* * * * *
Geology, which has now been so far advanced as a science, was still in
its infancy. Professor Playfair and Mr. Hutton had written on the
subject; and in my gay young days, when Lady Helen Hall was occasionally
my chaperone, I had heard that Sir James Hall had taken up the subject,
but I did not care about it; I am certain that at that time I had never
heard the word Geology. I think it was now, on going with Somerville to
see the Edinburgh Museum, that I recognised the fossil plants I had seen
in the coal limestone on the sands at the Links of Burntisland.
Ultimately Geology became a favourite pursuit of ours, but then minerals
were the objects of our joint study. Mineralogy had been much cultivated
on the Continent by this time, especially in Germany. It had been
established as a science by Werner, who was educated at an institution
near the silver mines of Friburg, where he afterwards lectured on the
properties of crystals, and had many pupils. In one of our tours on the
Continent, Somerville and I went to see these silver mines and bought
some specimens for our cabinet. The French took up the subject with
great zeal, and the Abbé Haüy's work became a standard book on the
science. Cabinets of minerals had been established in the principal
cities of Great Britain, professors were appointed in the Universities,
and collections of minerals were not uncommon in private houses. While
quite a girl, I went with my parents to visit the Fergusons of Raith,
near Kirkcaldy, and there I saw a magnificent collection of minerals,
made by their son while abroad. It contained gems of great value and
crystallized specimens of precious and other metals, which surprised and
interested me; but seeing that such valuable things could never be
obtained by me, I thought no more about them. In those early days I had
every difficulty to contend with; now, through the kindness and liberal
opinions of my husband, I had every encouragement. He took up the study
of mineralogy with zeal, and I heartily joined with him. We made the
acquaintance of Professor Jameson, a pupil of Werner's, whose work on
mineralogy was of great use to us. We began to form a cabinet of
minerals, which, although small, were good of their kind. We were
criticized for extravagance, and, no doubt I had the lion's share of
blame; but more of minerals hereafter.
* * * * *
Abbotsford is only twelve miles distant from Jedburgh, and my
father-in-law, Dr. Somerville, and Sir Walter Scott had been intimate
friends for many years, indeed through life. The house at Abbotsford was
at first a mere cottage, on the banks of the Tweed; my brother-in-law,
Samuel, had a villa adjacent to it, and John, Lord Somerville, had a
house and property on the opposite bank of the river, to which he came
every spring for salmon fishing. He was a handsome, agreeable man, had
been educated in England, and as he thought he should never live in
Scotland, he sold the family estate of Drum, within five miles of
Edinburgh, which he afterwards regretted, and bought the property on the
Tweed he then inhabited.
There was great intimacy between the three families, and the society was
often enlivened by Adam Ferguson and Willie Clerk, whom we had met with
at Raith. I shall never forget the charm of this little society,
especially the supper-parties at Abbotsford, when Scott was in the
highest glee, telling amusing tales, ancient legends, ghost and witch
stories. Then Adam Ferguson would sing the "Laird of Cockpen," and other
comic songs, and Willie Clerk amused us with his dry wit. When it was
time to go away all rose, and, standing hand-in-hand round the table,
Scott taking the lead, we sang in full chorus,
Weel may we a' be,
Ill may we never see;
Health to the king
And the gude companie.
At that time no one knew who was the author of the Waverley Novels.
There was much speculation and curiosity on the subject. While talking
about one which had just been published, my son Woronzow said, "I knew
all these stories long ago, for Mr. Scott writes on the dinner-table.
When he has finished, he puts the green-cloth with the papers in a
corner of the dining-room; and when he goes out, Charlie Scott and I
read the stories." My son's tutor was the original of Dominie Sampson in
"Guy Mannering." The "Memorie of the Somervilles" was edited by Walter
Scott, from an ancient and very quaint manuscript found in the archives
of the family, and from this he takes passages which he could not have
found elsewhere. Although the work was printed it was never published,
but copies were distributed to the different members of the family. One
was of course given to my husband.
The Burning of the Water, so well described by Walter Scott in
"Redgauntlet," we often witnessed. The illumination of the banks of the
river, the activity of the men striking the salmon with the "leisters,"
and the shouting of the people when a fish was struck, was an animated,
and picturesque, but cruel scene.
Sophia Scott, afterwards married to Mr. Lockhart, editor of the
"Quarterly Review," was the only one of Sir Walter's family who had
talent. She was not pretty, but remarkably engaging and agreeable, and
possessed her father's joyous disposition as well as his memory and
fondness for ancient Border legends and poetry. Like him, she was
thoroughly alive to peculiarities of character, and laughed at them
good-naturedly. She was not a musician, had little voice, but she sang
Scotch songs and translations from the Gaelic with, or without, harp
accompaniment; the serious songs with so much expression, and the merry
ones with so much spirit, that she charmed everybody. The death of her
brothers and of her father, to whom she was devotedly attached, cast a
shade over the latter part of her life. Mr. Lockhart was clever and an
able writer, but he was too sarcastic to be quite agreeable; however, we
were always on the most friendly terms. He was of a Lanarkshire family
and distantly related to Somerville. After the death of his wife and
sons, Lockhart fell into bad health and lost much of his asperity.
Scott was ordered to go abroad for health and relaxation. Somerville and
I happened to be at the seaport where he embarked, and we went to take
leave of him. He kissed me, and said, "Farewell, my dear; I am going to
die abroad like other British novelists." Happy would it have been if
God had so willed it,[7] for he returned completely broken down, and his
hopes blighted. In a few years his only remaining descendant was a
grand-daughter, the only surviving child of Mrs. Lockhart, Charlotte who
married Mr. James Hope, and soon died, leaving an only daughter, now
the last descendant of Sir Walter Scott. Thus the "Merry, merry days
that I have seen," ended very sadly.
* * * * *
When at Jedburgh, I never failed to visit James Veitch, who was Laird of
Inchbonny, a small property beautifully situated in the valley of the
Jed, at a short distance from the manse. He was a plough-wright, a
hard-working man, but of rare genius, who taught himself mathematics and
astronomy in the evenings with wonderful success, for he knew the
motions of the planets, calculated eclipses and occultations, was versed
in various scientific subjects, and made excellent telescopes, of which
I bought a very small one; it was the only one I ever possessed. Veitch
was handsome, with a singularly fine bald forehead and piercing eyes,
that quite looked through one. He was perfectly aware of his talents,
shrewd, and sarcastic. His fame had spread, and he had many visits, of
which he was impatient, as it wasted his time. He complained especially
of those from ladies not much skilled in science, saying, "What should
they do but ask silly questions, when they spend their lives in doing
naething but spatting muslin?" Veitch was strictly religious and
conscientious, observing the Sabbath day with great solemnity; and I
had the impression that he was stern to his wife, who seemed to be a
person of intelligence, for I remember seeing her come from the
washing-tub to point out the planet Venus while it was still daylight.
The return of Halley's comet, in 1835, exactly at the computed time, was
a great astronomical event, as it was the first comet of long period
clearly proved to belong to our system. I was asked by Mr. John Murray
to write an article on the subject for the "Quarterly Review." After it
was published, I received a letter from James Veitch, reproaching me for
having mentioned that a peasant in Hungary was the first to see Halley's
comet, and for having omitted to say that, "a peasant at Inchbonny was
the first to see the comet of 1811, the greatest that had appeared for a
century." I regretted, on receiving this letter, that I either had not
known, or had forgotten the circumstance. Veitch has been long dead, but
I avail myself of this opportunity of making the _amende honorable_ to a
man of great mental power and acquirements who had struggled through
difficulties, unaided, as I have done myself.
LETTER FROM JAMES VEITCH TO MRS. SOMERVILLE.
INCHBONNY, _12th October, 1836_.
DEAR MADAM,
I saw in the Quarterly review for December 1885 page 216 that the
comet 1682 was discovered by a Peasent, George Palitzch residing in
the neighbourhood of Dresden on the 25th of December 1758 with a
small Telescope. But no mention is made of the Peasent at Inchbonny
who first discovered the beautiful comet 1811. You will remember
when Dr. Wollaston was at Inchbonny I put a difficult question to
him that I could not solve about the focal distance of optic glasses
when the Dr. got into a passion and said: Had he problems in his
pocket ready to pull out in every occasion? and with an angry look
at me said, You pretend to be the first that discovered the comet
altho' it has been looked for by men of science for some time back.
Now I never heard of such a thing and you will perhaps know
something about it as the Dr. would not be mistaken. After we got
acquainted, the Dr. was a warm friend of mine and I have often
regretted that I had not improved the opportunity I had when he was
here on many things he was master off. What ever others had known or
expected I knew nothing about, But I know this, that on the 27th of
August 1811 I first saw it in the NNW. part of the Heavens nigh the
star marked 26 on the shoulder of the little Lion and continued
tracing its path among the fixed stars untill it disappeared and it
was generally admitted that I had discovered it four days before any
other person in Britain. However Mr. Thomas Dick on the Diffusion of
Knowledge page 101 and 102 has made the following observation 'The
splendid comet which appeared in our hemisphere in 1811 was first
discovered in this country by a sawer. The name of this Gentleman is
Mr. Veitch and I believe he resides in the neighbourhood of Kelso
who with a Reflecting telescope of his own construction and from his
sawpit as an observatory, descried that celestial visitant before it
had been noticed by any other astronomer in North Britain.' A
strange story--a sawer and a gentleman; and what is stranger still
Mr. Baily would not have any place but the sawpit for his
observatory on the 15th May last. I am sorry to say with all the
improvement and learning that we can boast of in the present day
Halley's comet the predictions have not been fulfilled, either with
respect to time or place. Thus on the 10 October, at 50 minutes past
5 in the evening the Right ascension of the comet was 163° 37', with
63° 38' of north declination but by the nautical almanac for the 10
October its right ascension ought to have been 225° 2' 6, and its
declination 29° 33'. Hence the difference is no less than 61° in
Right ascension and 34° in declination. When you have time, write
me.
Dear Madam, I remain,
Yours sincerely,
JAMES VEITCH.
Sir David Brewster was many years younger than James Veitch; in his
early years he assisted his father in teaching the parish-school at
Jedburgh, and in the evenings he went to Inchbonny to study astronomy
with James Veitch, who always called him Davie. They were as much
puzzled about the meaning of the word parallax as I had been with regard
to the word algebra, and only learnt what it meant when Brewster went to
study for the kirk in Edinburgh. They were both very devout;
nevertheless, Brewster soon gave up the kirk for science, and he devoted
himself especially to optics, in which he made so many discoveries. Sir
David was of ordinary height, with fair or sandy-coloured hair and blue
eyes. He was by no means good-looking, yet with a very pleasant, amiable
expression; in conversation he was cheerful and agreeable when quite at
ease, but of a timid, nervous, and irritable temperament, often at war
with his fellow-philosophers upon disputed subjects, and extremely
jealous upon priority of discovery. I was much indebted to Sir David,
for he reviewed my book on the "Connexion of the Physical Sciences," in
the April number of the "Edinburgh Review" for 1834, and the "Physical
Geography" in the April number of the "North British Review," both
favourably.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 7: Sir Walter died Sept. 21, 1832, in the presence of his two
sons and two daughters.]