The Life of Mansie Wauch, Tailor in Dalkeith, Written by Himself and edited by D. M. Moir -
David Macbeth Moir, Charles Martin Hardie (illustrator)
1911 - T. N. Foulis, Edinburgh - First Edition illustrated by Hardie
A finely bound example of this significant work of Scottish literature, first published in 1818, humorous , satirical, a detailed depiction of everyday life in a small Scottish town.
Illustrated by Scottish artist Charles Martin Hardie, with sixteen tipped-in colour plates after oil paintings.
“A reflection on the life of Mansie Wauch, a Scottish tailor who recounts his experiences, adventures, and relationships about the small town in which he lives. Blending humour and poignant commentary on friendship and nostalgia. Written by David Macbeth Moir, a Scottish physician and writer.” Interesting points -
- The earliest known usage of ‘Pinkie’ appears in ‘The Life of Mansie Wauch’, describing how one unfortunate soul’s ‘pinkie was hacked off by a dragoon … at [the Battle of] Prestonpans’. [Association for Scottish Literary Studies]
- The term ‘Gundy’ defined as ‘A kind of toffee or candy made from brown sugar, syrup or treacle, butter and flavouring’, was first recorded in ‘The Life of Mansie Wauch’: “Instead of gundy, I sold my thrums [threads] to Mrs Walnut for a penny, with which I bought . . . a sheet of paper and a pen”. [Dictionaries of the Scots Language ]
David Macbeth Moir (1798-1851), physician and essay writer, was born in Musselburgh, Midlothian, educated at the Musselburgh grammar school before being apprenticed to a local doctor at the age of thirteen. During the four years of his apprenticeship he also studied at the University of Edinburgh, receiving his medical diploma in 1816 and joining a practice in Musselburgh in 1817.
Moir began submitting essays to periodicals from an early age and became a contributor to the various magazines and lirterary gazettes. He was close friends with a number of Scottish writers—including William Maginn, John Wilson, and John Galt, and William Blackwood. (he was also Blackwood’s physician). Using the pseudonym “Delta,” Moir contributed hundreds of essays and tales to Blackwood’s Magazine. On Blackwood’s request, he edited for publication Galt’s 1826 novel The Last of the Lairds—work that included writing several additional chapters at a time when Galt had left for Canada.
The tales that make up Moir’s ‘The Life of Mansie Wauch’ were originally published in Blackwood’s Magazine; Moir was induced to issue them in a volume after they began being pirated in London. He also wrote on medicine: his Outlines of the Ancient History of Medicine appeared in 1832, followed by several pamphlets on cholera after his experiences of treating the disease during the European pandemic. In 1829 he married Catherine Elizabeth Bell with whom he had eleven children (three died in infancy). He died at Dumfries from complications following a fall from his horse. [ODNB]
Thick octavo (binding size 20.2x14.7cm), pp. [2] xviv [3]355 [1] [4 (publisher’s ads)}. Bound in half scarlet crushed morocco over light tan marbled boards, spine with gilt motifs, lettering and rule, top edge heavy gilt others untrimmed, marbled endpapers. Condition: Fine in fine binding. Ref: 112242 Price: HK$ 4,000
Illustrated by Scottish artist Charles Martin Hardie, with sixteen tipped-in colour plates after oil paintings.
“A reflection on the life of Mansie Wauch, a Scottish tailor who recounts his experiences, adventures, and relationships about the small town in which he lives. Blending humour and poignant commentary on friendship and nostalgia. Written by David Macbeth Moir, a Scottish physician and writer.” Interesting points -
- The earliest known usage of ‘Pinkie’ appears in ‘The Life of Mansie Wauch’, describing how one unfortunate soul’s ‘pinkie was hacked off by a dragoon … at [the Battle of] Prestonpans’. [Association for Scottish Literary Studies]
- The term ‘Gundy’ defined as ‘A kind of toffee or candy made from brown sugar, syrup or treacle, butter and flavouring’, was first recorded in ‘The Life of Mansie Wauch’: “Instead of gundy, I sold my thrums [threads] to Mrs Walnut for a penny, with which I bought . . . a sheet of paper and a pen”. [Dictionaries of the Scots Language ]
David Macbeth Moir (1798-1851), physician and essay writer, was born in Musselburgh, Midlothian, educated at the Musselburgh grammar school before being apprenticed to a local doctor at the age of thirteen. During the four years of his apprenticeship he also studied at the University of Edinburgh, receiving his medical diploma in 1816 and joining a practice in Musselburgh in 1817.
Moir began submitting essays to periodicals from an early age and became a contributor to the various magazines and lirterary gazettes. He was close friends with a number of Scottish writers—including William Maginn, John Wilson, and John Galt, and William Blackwood. (he was also Blackwood’s physician). Using the pseudonym “Delta,” Moir contributed hundreds of essays and tales to Blackwood’s Magazine. On Blackwood’s request, he edited for publication Galt’s 1826 novel The Last of the Lairds—work that included writing several additional chapters at a time when Galt had left for Canada.
The tales that make up Moir’s ‘The Life of Mansie Wauch’ were originally published in Blackwood’s Magazine; Moir was induced to issue them in a volume after they began being pirated in London. He also wrote on medicine: his Outlines of the Ancient History of Medicine appeared in 1832, followed by several pamphlets on cholera after his experiences of treating the disease during the European pandemic. In 1829 he married Catherine Elizabeth Bell with whom he had eleven children (three died in infancy). He died at Dumfries from complications following a fall from his horse. [ODNB]
Thick octavo (binding size 20.2x14.7cm), pp. [2] xviv [3]355 [1] [4 (publisher’s ads)}. Bound in half scarlet crushed morocco over light tan marbled boards, spine with gilt motifs, lettering and rule, top edge heavy gilt others untrimmed, marbled endpapers. Condition: Fine in fine binding. Ref: 112242 Price: HK$ 4,000