Walter Scott

Walter Scott was the ninth of his parents’ twelve children, only five of whom would survive infancy. A childhood bout of polio seriously sickened Scott, who walked with a pronounced limp for the rest of his life. Scott’s father was a lawyer; by his early teens, Scott had begun both his studies at Edinburgh College and an apprenticeship in his father’s office. Ultimately, he studied law and became a lawyer himself. His literary career began with translating German novels and collecting and editing traditional Scottish ballads. He would begin writing his own original poetry and novels in his mid-30s, around the same time he entered an editorial relationship and business partnership with printer and publisher James Ballantyne. In his 50s, Scott experienced a serious bout of ill health, followed by the bankruptcy of both his publisher  and Ballantyne & Co, the printing firm in which he was also an investing partner. The only member of any of these organizations capable of generating a sizeable income, Scott agreed to take responsibility for not only his personal share of the debt but those of his partners and their companies, a debt of well over £10 million ($13 million) in modern money. Nevertheless, he generated enough income from the six novels, two short stories, two plays, and 11 works of nonfiction he authored between 1826 and his death to pay off the debt in full within seven years. Sadly, Scott died, following a series of strokes, a year before the debt was cleared.