Details
A Scottish, late George III, mahogany writing-table with moulded rectangular top and later inset, the frieze fitted with three drawers to one side and by a frieze drawer fitted with a green baise lined writing slope, flanked on either side by a short drawer to the other, on square tapering supports with later brass caps and castors, bearing a hand-written paper label, inscribed and dated October 15th 1810. This table was sent me this day by Walter Scott. It has been used by him for many years and the Lay, Marmion, and the Lady of the Lake was, for the greater part written on this desk to which this paper is posted. W. Erskine, 58½ins x 36½ins (148.5cms x 92.5cms) 29½ins (75cms) high;
and a glazed letter inscribed My dear Sir David, I will have the greatest pleasure in receiving Mr. Henry and you tomorrow and take it very kind you should have thought of taking a ride down Tweed, I am my dear Sir David very truly yours Walter Scott, Abbotsford, Tuesday 1824
Provenance
By family repute this desk was the property of Sir Walter Scott it was acquired by Thomas Kennedy Dalziel when he purchased the Kinnedar Estate near Saline in 1904. The Kinnedar Estate was previously owned by the Erskine family and the table was given to the present owner by his mother a direct relation of Thomas Kennedy Dalziel.
William Erskine, Lord Kinneder (1769-1822) was an intimate friend and literary confident of Scott, it was Erskine who negotiated for "Scotts translation of Lenore in 1796, and soon after Scott began his career as a great writer. Scott dedicated the third canto of Marmion to Erskine, which was published in 1808 and "resolved to trust to the detection of minor inaccuracies to only James Ballantyne and William Erskine, the latter being a referee whenever the poet hesitated".
(See: John G. Lockhart, Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Edinburgh, 1837).
