Annals of the Parish facts for kids
Annals of the Parish is a famous novel from 1821 by John Galt. It tells a story about life in a Scottish village. The full title is Annals of the parish: or, The chronicle of Dalmailing; during the ministry of the Rev. Micah Balwhidder, written by himself.
The book is written from the point of view of Micah Balwhidder. He is a minister (a type of church leader) in the fictional village of Dalmailing. Micah is a very interesting character. He has some human flaws, like being a bit proud or vain. But he also cares a lot about how the village's economy is doing.
The story gives a funny and realistic look at what life was like for a minister in Scotland in the late 1700s and early 1800s. It also shows how life in rural Scotland changed during the Industrial Revolution. This was a time when new factories and machines changed how people lived and worked.
Micah Balwhidder proudly notes that his story begins on October 25, 1760. This was the same day that King George III became king. The story ends in 1810, when the king became ill and Micah's time as minister also ended.
Annals of the Parish is written using a mix of Scots and English. It is one of many Scottish stories Galt wrote in the 1820s. He called these stories 'theoretical histories' or 'Tales of the West'.
Big Changes and New Ideas
In his notes for the year 1793, Balwhidder remembers a strange dream. He felt it was a sign of big changes to come. Soon after, he heard about the execution of King Louis XVI in France. This event was part of the French Revolution.
By 1794, people in his village of Dalmailing started to have different ideas. Some favored radical changes, like the Jacobins in France. These people wanted to change society a lot. This caused disagreements between them and the richer people in the village.
Balwhidder was worried about these divisions. He noticed new ideas spreading, like "universal benevolence" (being kind to everyone) and "utility" (doing what is useful). He felt these ideas were trying to replace the good deeds taught by Christianity. He preached to his congregation that they should not leave their faith to become "Utilitarians." He believed that Christianity already taught people to do good things, which was what the new idea of "utility" was about.
The word "utilitarian" became more famous later. John Stuart Mill, a well-known thinker, used it in his 1861 book Utilitarianism. Mill even wrote a note saying he thought he was the first to use the word. But he admitted he got it from a small phrase in Galt's Annals of the Parish.
See also
- 1821 in literature
- Greenock
- Literary Taste: How to Form It
