The Life And Letters Of Alexander Wilson, Clark Hunter, 1983

Printed by the American Philosophical Society, Independence Square, Philadelphia -- 1983.

Only 73 pages of biography, in Part One: The Live of Alexander Wilson

Then about 330 pages of his letters, in Part Two.

Bottom line: preceded Audubon. Author argues that Wilson was better at his craft than Audubon.

From wiki:

Alexander Wilson (July 6, 1766 – August 23, 1813) was a Scottish-American poet, ornithologist, naturalist, and illustrator. Identified by George Ord as the "Father of American Ornithology", Wilson is regarded as the greatest American ornithologist prior to Audubon.

So, born ten years before the American revolution; died well before the US Civil War.

Introduction

High points

• died at age 47
• much more than an ornithologist
• a weaver, pedlar (sic), poet, reformer, pioneering ornithologist, and remarkable traveler, artist and writer
• letters to David Brodie, his weaving friend turned schoolmaster 

The editor/author had little to go on except Wilson's letters. Wilson never got around to writing the book he wanted to write.

Paisley: Scottish lowlands near the River Clyde. The town is on the northern edge of the Gleniffer Braes, straddling the banks of the White Cart Water, a tributary of the River Clyde.By the 19th century, Paisley was a centre of the weaving industry, giving its name to the Paisley shawl and the Paisley Pattern.

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The Literature Page

I'm still in my "China phase." That will probably last a long time and considering my age, I may still be in my "China phase" in the nursing home.

However, my love for Scotland never wanes, as they say. I've talked about my relationship with Scotland many times.

On my last trip to Portland, OR, I came across a most interesting "antique store," the kind of store about which Owen Wilson's character in Midnight in Paris most likely dreamed. I had to force myself to leave the antique store before I "broke the bank."

One of my purchases was a hardcover, 1983, book edited by Clark Hunter, The Life and Letters of Alexander Wilson. My notes taken while reading this book will be placed at this site.

I love the Brits, or perhaps, better said, the English. They just assume, when writing, that everyone knows everything about England. No background is necessary. In the US we have the American Automobile Association. In England, simply the Automobile Association. Everybody knows the Automobile Association is in England; nothing more need be said.

Int the Wilson biography, I found it just the same. This was almost the opening line:

When searching for unpublished letters of Alexander Wilson, I found in private hands in Paisley his own copy of the 1791 edition of his poems. 

Okay, so "Paisley." What is "Paisley"?

Well, it turns out that "Paisley" has its own wiki page. Of course, so does Williston. But I digress.

Having just read much about China's silk industry, and the running water that powered the mills that ran the silk factories, this little nugget was worth the price of the book, which for a used book ws fairly expensive and much more than I generally spend for such books. (A typical English silk mill will be turned into a youth hostel.)

So now I know a bit more about Paisley.

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Alexander Wilson

So;

• born in Scotland, in 1766, ten years before the American Revolution
• first book of poems before age 22; self-taught; "inspired" or "depressed" by the Industrial Revolution
• March 4, 1801: delivered an address in Milestown, PA, to celebrate Jefferson's first election -- imagine that -- a Scotsman born ten years before the American Revolution, gives a celebratory speech in honor of Jefferson's presidency -- wow [the American Revolution was a war between the Scots (or Scotch-Irish) and the English, and this was one war the Scots one; it is little wonder that Wilson would praise Jefferson]
• 1802: a schoolmaster at Gray's Ferry; there, mentored by William Bartram began his "career" in ornithology; William Bartram schooled by his father, John Bartram (1699-1777), described by Linnaeus (yes, that Linnaeus) as "the greatest natural botanist in the World"
• through Bartrem, Wilson got to know Charles Willson Peale, the founder of the internationally famous museum of natural history in Philadelphia
• his Ornithology, first volume was published in 1808
• wow -- Wilson noted that "the first considerable list of our [US] birds was published i 1787, by Mr Jefferson (yes, that Mr Jefferson), in his celebrated "Notes on Virginia"; that list contained 109 species
• the next list to be published, 1791, by William Bartram, 215 different species, North and South Carolina
• other shorter lists: Dr Barton, Pennsylvania; Dr Belknap, New Hampshire
• Mark Catesby: southern states and the Caribbean for more than a decade; his Natural History, 1731, 100 plates depicting birds and botanical specimens; before Wilson, the earliest significant ornithologist in America
• so, we have the baton passing:
• Catesby -- Bartram -- Wilson -- Audubon (with an assist from others, including President Jefferson)
• Wilson's Ornithology: nine (9) volumes; individual essays on 293 birds; 315 birds portrayed in 76 plates
• the debate over whether Wilson was "greater" than Audubon are long past, according to the author; methinks the author would like to re-open the discussion
• "in his drawings the flamboyant Frenchman (Audubon) sought dramatic effects and succeeded wonderfully well while the cannier Scotsman aimed for facts and accurate delineation"
• "Audubon and his splendid engraver Robert Havell, whose skill added an extra dimension to the finished plates, used Wilson's book as a standard guide, and there is no reason why Audubon should have pretended otherwise"
• "it would not have diminished Audubon to give credit to the long-dead Wilson for his groundwork, just as Wilson made acknowledgment to Bartram"
• "Wilson cleared the ground and planted the seed while Audubon reaped the crops" -- wow
• "in the account of Wilson's life accompanying the letters, I have tried to be true to him and to avoid the dramatics dear to his follower, Audubon" -- a second "wow"
• in the book there are "several" letters to and from Thomas Jefferson

And this is where I will stop for now as I start to read Chapter One.

Chapter One

Incredible history of Paisley and weaving.

Alexander Wilson christened by the minister of the local kirk, Dr John Witherspoon. Both the minister and the babe in arms were to become notable citizens in the as yet unborn United States of America. Almost exactly ten years later Witherspoon, now president of the College of New Jersey, was the only minister of religion or educator to sign the Declaration of Independence.

1794: Wilson emigrates to America; Witherspoon dies the same year.