Rev Roderick Lawson
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Ayrshire Collections  Volume Twelve  Number Two

Roderick Lawson of Maybole

A remarkable Victorian minister.

Hugh Douglas 

AYRSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY (1978)

Read Hugh Douglas' well written account of Rev. Lawson and excerpts of his works

By generous permission of the AANHS and the author Hugh Douglas.


Rev R Lawson tribute.jpg (47694 bytes)

Summary: For a much more in depth account see Hugh Douglas' AANHS publication

The Rev. Roderick Lawson.(1831-1907) was born in Girvan, where his father was a ropespinner. He received his early education under the Rev. Cathcart Kay in the old Parish School. His first post was that of assistant to the Rev. John M'Leod, at that time minister of the parish of Newton-on-Ayr, but later of Govan Parish. In 1864 he was ordained minister of the West Parish Church, Maybole, in which a memorial tablet records that he laboured for 34 years and was " a man imbued with the enthusiasm of usefulness who preached the love of God." 

He was a great lover of the romantic land in which he was born, and in books such as"-Places of Interest about Girvan,'' " Ailsa Craig," and " The Covenanters of Ayrshire," he has given much information about the many interesting places in Carrick, the tales of grim and tragic deeds being mingled with humorous comments and anecdotes in a lighter vein.

He not only wrote a number of poems and songs chiefly on local subjects, but was also a diligent collector of the ballads and songs of his native district, which he published under the title of " Ballads and Songs of Carrick." Firmly believing that ballads and songs are written to be sung rather than to be read, he got his musical friends to write melodies and accompaniments for all the pieces in his collection not already provided with them.

Author of
"Places of Interest about Maybole with Sketches of Persons of Interest"
" Maybole, Past and Present"

Complete text and illustrations from ten of Lawson's books will be made available on this site.

Other books by Rev. R. Lawson
( available at the  South Ayrshire Scottish & Local History Library )

Ailsa Craig It's History and Natural History 1888 (republished)
The Capital of Carrick and the District about it 1897
Church of Scotland: West Parish Church Maybole 1897
The Covenanters of Ayrshire Historical and Biographical
Crossraguel Abbey: a History and a Description 1883
The Famous Places of England 1898
The Famous Places of Scotland 1893
Fifty Four Views of Carrick with description 1894 (republished)
Glimpses of Norway: Being notes of a trip in the SS St Sunniva July 1884
Maybole and It's Historical Associations 1868
Maybole past and present 1885
Maybole West Parish monthly letters 1880-1897
A Ministers Life 1895 (to be available on this site)
Odds and Ends from a Working Life 1886
Persons Who have Influenced my Life 1903
Places of interest about Girvan 1892 (republished)
Places of interest about Maybole 1891 (available on this site)
Reminiscences of the late Robert Wallace 1899
The Sacred Places of Scotland
The Shorter Catechism
Through Eastern Cities 1900
What I saw in India and it's people 1888-89


Gordon Clark has republished the following of Rev. Lawson's books.

Ailsa Craig (cost £6.99) including a fold out map; 
Places of Interest about Girvan (£7.99); and 
54 Views of Carrick (£6.99). 

All three have pictorial card wrappers.
If you have an interest in these you may contact Gordon at:

Ainslie Books, 
28 Hamilton Street
Girvan KA26 9EY
Ayrshire, Scotland
TEL/fax 01465 715453
email: ainslie-books@compaqnet.co.uk

 


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