Author: Neilson, Arthur Scott
Biography:
NEILSON, Arthur Scott (fl 1786)
“Neilson” was an unusual surname in Britain in the late eighteenth century, and even the variant “Nielson” is not common, especially in conjunction with these forenames. But the name is prominently displayed on the title-page of The Variegated Year (1786). It appears to have been Neilson’s only publication, an anodyne poem in rhyming couplets about the changing of the seasons and some thoughts associated with each change. “Soft Spring asserts her turn to rule the year,” etc. It is addressed to the Duke of Bedford: “From thee, O BEDFORD, in the bloom of youth,/ This nation looks for virtue and for truth.” According to Coldham's records, Neilson was Irish by birth. His father, a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, was "cast away" and presumably died in 1758. Arthur along with an older brother went to live with their uncle James Neilson (c. 1699-1783), who had emigrated to the US in 1716 and become a prosperous merchant in New Brunswick, New Jersey. They were employed in the management of his business as young men but were on opposite sides during the Revolutionary War and Arthur, a Loyalist, was disinherited. Arthur married in 1777 and had at least two children by 1783 when he attempted to claim reparation for his losses. In the meantime he had returned to Britain and joined the navy, from which he was discharged in 1781. No birth, marriage, or death records have as yet come to light. (ancestry.com 27 Feb. 2024; findmypast.com 27 Feb. 2024; Peter Wilson Coldham, American Migrations 1765-1799 [2000], 420; information from AA) HJ