author
Dougal Graham
1724–1779
Known as Glasgow’s “skellat bellman,” this lively 18th-century Scottish writer turned street news, local humor, and chapbook storytelling into some of the most vivid Scots prose of his time. His work still stands out for its energy, sharp observation, and feel for everyday speech.
4 Audiobooks
About the author
Born near Stirling and active in 18th-century Scotland, Dougal Graham became famous as a writer of chapbooks and as the "skellat bellman" of Glasgow, the town crier who announced news through the streets. He is often associated with the Raploch area and is remembered as one of the strongest prose voices in vernacular Scots of his era.
Graham followed events surrounding the Jacobite rising of 1745 and later wrote about them, helping preserve a popular, ground-level view of Scottish life and history. Alongside historical writing, he produced a wide range of chapbook material—stories, poems, comic pieces, and popular literature meant for everyday readers rather than elite audiences.
What makes his writing last is its closeness to ordinary speech and ordinary people. His books capture humor, gossip, local character, and the rhythms of daily life, giving modern readers a rare window into how 18th-century Scotland sounded on the page.