Samuel Rutherford Crockett (24 September 1859 – 16 April 1914) was a Scottish novelist.
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He was born at Duchrae, Balmaghie, Kirkcudbrightshire, the illegitimate grandson of a farmer. He was raised on his grandfather's Galloway farm, and graduated from Edinburgh University during 1879. [1]
After some years of travel, he became in 1886 minister of Penicuik. During that year he produced his first publication, Dulce Cor (Latin: Sweet Heart), a collection of verse. He eventually abandoned the Free Church ministry for novel-writing.[1]
The success of J.M. Barrie and the Kailyard school of sentimental, homey writing had created a demand for stories in Lowland Scots, when Crockett published his successful story of The Stickit Minister during 1893. [1] It was followed by a rapidly produced series of popular novels frequently featuring the history of Scotland or his native Galloway. Crockett made considerable sums of money from his writing and was a friend and correspondent of R. L. Stevenson.
During 1900, Crockett wrote a booklet published by the London camera manufacturer, Newman & Guardia, comparing cameras favorably to pen and pencil and explaining how he encountered the N and G advertisement.[2]
He died in France on holiday in early 1914, and the subsequent outbreak of the First World War meant a delay in his remains being buried in his home kirkyard at Balmaghie.
A monument to Crockett can be seen at Laurieston, near Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbrightshire. His papers are held by Edinburgh University.[3] A biography of S.R. Crockett was published in 1991, by Dr. Islay Donaldson.
The Raiders concerns the historical Gypsy leader John Faa, who much later becomes a character in His Dark Materials.