Elizabeth Hamilton

Walter Scott described Elizabeth Hamilton's novel "The Cottagers of Glenburnie" as "a picture of the rural habits of Scotland, of striking and impressive fidelity."  Ms. Hamilton was born in Belfast, but moved to live with an aunt in the Stirling area of Scotland after her father passed away.  She was only 4 at that time, so her upbringing was largely Scottish, as was her family background.

As pointed out on EU's Walter Scott site  (http://www.walterscott.lib.ed.ac.uk/works/novels/waverley.html), Hamilton's Glenburnie novel, published in 1808,  helped pave the way for Scott's "Waverley", as it helped create a taste for literature about regional manners.  Elizabeth Hamilton died on July 23, 1816.