James Telfer, an ingenious prose writer and respectable poet, was born
about the commencement of the century, near the source of the river Jed,
in the parish of Southdean, and county of Roxburgh. Passionate in his
admiration of Hogg's "Queen's Wake," he early essayed imitations of some
of the more remarkable portions of that poem. In 1824 he published at
Jedburgh a volume of "Border Ballads and Miscellaneous Poems," which he
inscribed to the Bard of Ettrick. "Barbara Gray," an interesting prose
tale, appeared from his pen in 1835, printed at Newcastle. A collected
edition of his best productions in prose and verse was published at
London in 1852, with the title of "Tales and Sketches." He has long been
a contributor to the provincial journals.
Some of Mr Telfer's ballads are respectable specimens of this class of
compositions; and his tales in prose are written with much vigour, the
narrative of "Barbara Gray" being especially interesting. For many years
he has taught an adventure school at Saughtree, Liddisdale; and with
emoluments not much beyond twenty pounds a-year, he has contrived to
support a family. He has long maintained a literary correspondence with
his ingenious friend, Mr Robert White of Newcastle; and his letters,
some of which we have seen, abound with curious and interesting
speculations.