Grampian Club > Boswelliana

MEMOIR OF JA.MES BOSWELL. 193
Alexander BosweU, the biographer's elder son, succeeded to
the family estate. He studied at Westminster School, and the
University of Oxford ; and, after making the tour of Europe
settled at Auchinleck, A lover of historical and antiquarian
learning, he established a private printing-press, and reproduced
many rare tracts preserved in the family library. Early devoted
to poetical composition, he published several volumes of poetry
and song. His poems abound in drollery, but are gene-
rally fragmentary. Of his songs, "Jenny's Bawbee," "Jenny
Dang the Weaver," " The Lass o' Isla," and " Bannocks o' Barley
Meal," have long been popular. To public affairs he devoted
no inconsiderable attention. He was in the Conservative interest
elected M.P. for Ayrshire, and became Colonel of the Yeomanry
Cavalry, in the same county. He originated the proposal of
erecting a public monument to the poet Burns, on the banks of
the Doon, and raised £2,000 on behalf of the undertaking. In
1821 his patriotism and public enterprise were rewarded by a
Baronetcy. His career terminated under painful circumstances.
Indulging a tendency to sarcasm, he published in a Glasgow
newspaper a severe pasquinade against Mr. James Stuart, younger
of Dunearn, a leader of the liberal party at Edinburgh. Chal-
lenged by Mr. Stuart to mortal combat, he accepted the cartel, and
the parties met at Auchtertool, Fifeshire. Sir Alexander feU,
the bullet from his opponent's pistol having entered the middle
of the right clavicle, which it severely fractured. He lingered till
the following day. His death took place on the 27th March, 1822,
and his remains were interred at Auchinleck. In the following
verses, John Goldie, an Ayrshire poet, celebrated his obsequies: —
" ! heard you the trurapet sound sad on the gale,
O ! heard you the voice of weeping and wail ']
O ! saw you the horsemen in gaUant array,
As in sorrow and silence they moved on their way.