Margaret Calderwood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Margaret Calderwood
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by Allan Ramsay
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| Born | 1715 |
| Died | 1774 |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | Diaries |
Margaret Calderwood (1715 – 1774) was a Scottish writer known for her detailed diaries. She lived just after a big event in Scottish history called the Jacobite uprising of 1745. Margaret wrote about her exciting journeys through England and all the way to Brussels. Her interesting writings were not published until many years later, in the 1800s.
Contents
About Margaret Calderwood
Early Life and Family
Margaret was born in 1715. Her father was Sir James Steuart of Coltness. He was part of an important family called the Steuart baronets.
In 1735, Margaret married Thomas Calderwood of Polton. That same year, a famous Scottish artist named Allan Ramsay painted her portrait.
A Special Journey
Margaret became well-known because of her brother. He had to leave Scotland and live in another country. This was because he was involved in the 1745 rebellion. People who supported this rebellion were sometimes seen as going against the government.
Margaret decided to visit her brother. He was living in a place called Liège, in what is now Belgium. He was on a list of people the government considered disloyal.
On June 3, 1756, Margaret began her journey. She traveled with her husband, two servants, and her sons, William and James. She kept a journal and wrote many letters during this trip.
Her Famous Diaries
By the end of 1756, Margaret realized how special her journals and letters were. She started to organize them into what she called "volumes." These writings described her entire trip.
She wrote about traveling from Scotland, through England, and then to cities like Rotterdam, Delft, and Amsterdam. She also described meeting her brother in Liège and continuing to Brussels.
Margaret's diaries give us a great look at life back then. She wrote about how people traveled, what they ate, and how they got water and fuel. She also described money, farming, religion, and schools. In one part, she admired the cows in England. She joked that the people there didn't have as much "smartness" as the cows!
Later Life and Legacy
In 1771, Margaret's brother was allowed to return to Britain. He came back in 1773. Margaret and her husband passed away shortly after.
In 1774, a monument was planned for Margaret. It was designed by famous architects Robert and James Adam. Her son, William, likely ordered it. However, this monument was never built for Margaret. Instead, the design was used much later, in 1992, for a monument to Robert Adam in Edinburgh.
Margaret Calderwood's diaries were first shared with a small group in 1842. But they became much more widely known when they were published for everyone to read in 1884.
Margaret is buried in the old Kirkyard in Lasswade. She rests there with her husband, in the same plot as her father-in-law, Sir William Calderwood, Lord Polton.
