Notes on the folk-lore of the northern counties of England and the borders / [William Henderson].

  • William Henderson
Date:
1879
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Notes on the folk-lore of the northern counties of England and the borders / [William Henderson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    15/420
    may carry their traditions with them, they fail to transmit them to their descendants. Be this however as it may, I continued my re- searches, noting down carefully every morsel of Eolk- Lore that came before me, and my reward has been far beyond my expectations. Besides many histories and sayings more or less noteworthy, I lighted on a treasure of exceeding value, which, through the kind- ness of my friend the Bev. B. 0. Bromfield of Sprous- ton, I have been enabled to make my own. It was in fact a collection of Border customs, legends, and superstitions put together, about fifty years ago, by a young medical student of the name of Wilkie, residing at Bowden, near Eildon Hall; and this at the desire of Sir Walter Scott, for the purpose of being used by him in a projected work on the subject, which he never carried beyond two short essays on the Border Minstrelsy. Mr. Wilkie appears to have been a favourite and protege of Sir Walter Scott, who pro- cured him an appointment in India, where the young man died. The collection, although of great interest, was, as I received it, by no means in a fit state for publication. The contents were not arranged, there was a good deal of repetition, and the style was diffuse and wordy. Meanwhile I had shown my lecture to the accom- plished Editor of the Monthly Packet, whose in- terest in this and kindred subjects is well known, and whose varied and extensive reading renders her opinion peculiarly valuable. She expressed a wish that the lecture should be turned into an article for
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