First & Second Tales

Thomas Aird was born on 28th August 1802 at Bowden, Roxburghshire in Scotland. After an education at the local parish school he studied for his degree at Edinburgh University. Whilst there he became friends with fellow writers James Hogg, Thomas Carlyle and John Wilson. After graduating Aird was encouraged to become a Church of Scotland minister but he turned down these entreaties to remain in Edinburgh and devote himself to a literary career. His first publication was in 1826 with ‘Martzoufle: