The Arts In Berwick -- Other Narratives
A Fatal Literacy


John MacKay Wilson had become editor of the Berwick Advertiser in March 1832. His Tales of the Borders was a great success, but the strain of editing a newspaper, as well as writing the weekly instalment of the Tales proved too much, and he died in October 1835 at the age of 31.

By then only 73 of the Tales had appeared and the publisher engaged Alexander Leighton (1800-74) to edit and expand the work with stories sent in from all over Scotland. By 1880s, 24 volume sets of the Tales were available.


Click here to return to the Other Narratives page