Author: Paterson, John
Biography:
PATERSON, John (fl 1810)
He is identified on the title page as “John Paterson, AM of Dundee.” His poems show that he was educated at St Andrews and he was a clergyman. Rogers recalls meeting him in his childhood and describes him as “an eccentric probationer of the Established Church” who conducted services in the open air. One of his poems establishes that he was the chaplain to the soldiers of the second battalion, stationed at Dundee. His subscribers include Patersons of Castle Huntly, professors at St Andrews, and various Dundee merchants. No other reliable information has been located but he is possibly the John Paterson who wrote to Walter Scott (q.v.) from St Andrews in September 1825 asking to dedicate a volume of verse to him (Scott docketed the letter “trash” and declined the request). (Charles Rogers, Familiar Illustrations of Scottish Life [1846]; NLS Scott letters). SR