ROBERT WILLIAMS BUCHANAN (1841 - 1901)
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ROBERT WILLIAMS BUCHANAN (1841 - 1901) |
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ROBERT BUCHANAN AND THE GLASGOW SENTINEL
Robert Buchanan Snr. acquired The Glasgow Sentinel at a public auction on 18th April, 1851. In 1860 Buchanan Snr. was declared bankrupt and his Glasgow newspapers were sold. When I first prepared this section and put it online on 10th March, 2016, the British Library Newspaper Archive only had copies of The Glasgow Sentinel running from Saturday, 5th October, 1850 to Saturday, 30th December, 1854 and then Saturday 2nd January 1858 to Saturday 25th December 1858. Although the earlier period was of little interest, the copies from 1858 did contain some early work of Robert Buchanan Jr. which then formed the major part of this section. However, the B.L.N.A. has now added the missing copies of The Glasgow Sentinel, which has led to my revising the whole of this section. As it happens, 1858 was the most prolific year for Buchanan Jr. as far as The Glasgow Sentinel was concerned, so finding these ‘new’ copies of the paper did not reveal vast swathes of early poetry, and I still haven’t found the first part of his one attempt at fiction. One possible reason for this tailing off in 1859 is that he was perhaps contributing to his father’s other papers, The Glasgow Times and Penny Post, but these are not available online, so I’m speculating. There is more evidence to suggest that by the autumn of 1859 Buchanan Jr. was involved with another literary magazine, The West of Scotland Magazine and Review. Of the years before 1858, Buchanan Jr.’s first contribution to The Glasgow Sentinel (at least, the first I’ve found) was the poem, ‘On the Death of an Infant Sister’ which was published on 18th October, 1856, when he was fifteen years old. Of course, it is impossible to tell how much material Robert Buchanan Jr. actually submitted to The Glasgow Sentinel - how many of the unsigned reviews of books and plays are his, or the occasional pieces devoted to literature and the other arts. So, the following is a selection of items from The Glasgow Sentinel from 1856 to 1859, taken in chronological order, which are either signed by Robert Buchanan Jr., or are most likely to be his work. Then, some material which is slightly more speculative as to its origin, followed by a few other items of interest, and finally a section on Buchanan’s father and the earlier period of The Glasgow Sentinel. i. Robert Buchanan’s Sister i. Poem: ‘Love’s Heaven’ i. Poem: ‘Ballad’ i. Poem: ‘Lines for the Centenary of Robert Burns’ 5. A few more Items of Interest 6. Robert Buchanan Snr. and the early years of The Glasgow Sentinel
The following appears in the first chapter of Harriett Jay’s biography of Robert Buchanan: “The marriage took place in the autumn of 1840, and on the 18th day of August, 1841, Robert, their only son, was born. About twelve years later Mrs. Buchanan gave birth to a little girl, who died in infancy, so Robert was practically their only child.” Buchanan’s sister is never mentioned again. On page 29 of John A. Cassidy’s Robert W. Buchanan he makes this supposition regarding Buchanan’s marriage to Mary Ann Jay: “The union did not turn out altogether fortunately. The young wife was soon afflicted with internal disorders which later developed into cancer, causing her death in 1881. As far as is known, there were no children, though the number of Buchanan’s early poems dealing with the theme of a dead baby suggests that they might have had one child who died [in] infancy.” I’ve not come across any evidence for the Buchanans losing a child and I would suggest that Buchanan’s interest in the theme, beyond just reflecting the sentimental taste of the times, might relate to the death of his sister. ‘The Dead Baby’ appeared in Temple Bar in June, 1861 (which would seem to predate Buchanan’s marriage) and one of his earliest successes was ‘Baby Grace’ which was published in The St. James’s Magazine in June, 1862. He also wrote the essay, ‘Poems About Babies’ for the same magazine in November, 1863. As noted above, Buchanan’s first contribution to The Glasgow Sentinel which I’ve come across is the poem, ‘On the Death of an Infant Sister’. However, to put the poem in context, there are a number of other items which should be mentioned first.
The Glasgow Sentinel (26 March, 1853 - p.8) |
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The Glasgow Sentinel (14 May, 1853 - p.8) |
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The Glasgow Sentinel (31 January, 1857 - p.4) POETICAL COMPETITION: OUR announcement of a prize for the best poem on the genius of Robert Burns—the great Scotch poet—has called forth a perfect host of competitors. The Muses must have been fairly worn out with the labours of the last few days. Not fewer than fifty effusions, on the topic indicated, have passed through the hands of the arbiters. Of course there was the greatest possible variety in the style and merits of the compositions—some being positively good, others decidedly indifferent, while not a few were execrably bad. After a thorough sifting of the wheat from the chaff, however, the arbiters had no difficulty in coming to their decision. On this point they were unanimous. The following production, from the pen of James Macfarlan, author of “Songs of a City,” is the one to which the prize was awarded. . . . We have now done with the competition songs, but before completing our bouquet we beg leave to submit one other effusion on the subject from one who was excluded from the lists. The writer is Mr R. W. Buchanan (son of the editor of this journal), who, although not yet sixteen years of age, has already contributed a number of really beautiful effusions to the local press. For a very obvious reason, it was not deemed expedient that he should engage, on this occasion, in the poetical contest. We have no hesitation, however, in placing his laurel leaf in the wreath of the bard. It will be seen that the production, which is in blank verse, manifests qualities of style and thought which would do no discredit to a much older hand and a more mature head. SWEET lark of song that in the heaven of Fame, Oh! greenest spot of beauty in the vales Behold! a hurricane roots up firm space, We have thus laid before our readers the principal efforts which have been submitted to our judgment. Whether the award may meet their approbation we know not, but this we shall say, that it was only given after a most minute and unbiassed examination.
[Note: Click here for a scan of the complete article.] _____
The Glasgow Sentinel (18 April, 1857 - p.2) COLIN. “CLOUDLESS yon heaven resplendently glows, “Oh, love—who propitious thus hymns to my soul— “Happy the hour when the dawn brightly breaks “Thus morning and night she reclines in my arms— Thus Colin his happiness languidly sighed— Why trembles the moon of delight on the wane? Unseen and unheard from the false one he fled, “Young Phillis in modesty tenderly smiled, ROBT. W. BUCHANAN. ___
The Glasgow Sentinel (6 June, 1857 - p.6) Original Poetry. RURAL COURTSHIP. THE old, yet never old, tale o’er again— ROBERT W. BUCHANAN. ___
The Glasgow Sentinel (29 August, 1857 - p.4) Original Poetry. DOUBT. THICK gloom pervades the pervious sky Last spring we met as strangers meet, Thy cottage eaves are soaked with rain, Beside thy door a birchen-tree If love be changeless, love be true— Ah, Mary—but I would think Love’s ambient billows, rank with pain, Alas! each doubt, plunged to the hilt ___
The Glasgow Sentinel (26 September, 1857 - p.2) Original Poetry. WOOING. O, the wooing, endless wooing O, the wooing, endless wooing, O, the wooing, endless wooing, O, the wooing, fruitless wooing, O, the wooing, bootless wooing, O, the wooing, bitter wooing, O, the wooing, wistful wooing, O, the wooing, painful wooing, O, the wooing, wondrous wooing, O, the wooing, empty wooing, _____
Robert Buchanan and The Glasgow Sentinel - continued
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