Scottish author John Galt (1779-1839) wrote extensively during the early 1800s, producing novels as well as works of drama, poetry, art criticism, and biography. He also worked as a lobbyist and founded settlements in Canada. Galt's style of novel writing contributed to the development of the realistic Scottish novel in which characters were depicted in their day-to-day lives in the Scottish countryside, speaking in colorful local idioms.

John Galt was born on May 2, 1779, in the Scottish seaport town of Irvine, in the county of Ayrshire. Born to John Galt, captain of a merchant ship, and Jean Tilloch Galt, he was the oldest of four children. His health was fragile as a child, and he spent much of his time reading and helping his mother garden. Galt's mother was a major influence on him, and her use of metaphorical language and mastery of Scottish dialect would later be reflected...