author

W. S. (William Shillinglaw) Crockett

1866–1945

A Scottish minister and prolific man of letters, he wrote warmly about the Borders, Sir Walter Scott, and the landscapes and literary history of Tweed country. His books blend local knowledge, historical curiosity, and a clear affection for place.

3 Audiobooks

Abbotsford

Abbotsford

by W. S. (William Shillinglaw) Crockett

Abbotsford

Abbotsford

by W. S. (William Shillinglaw) Crockett

In the Border Country

In the Border Country

by W. S. (William Shillinglaw) Crockett

About the author

Born in Earlston, Berwickshire, on June 24, 1866, William Shillinglaw Crockett was educated at Earlston Parish School and Edinburgh University. Before entering the ministry, he worked as an apprentice chemist, and he was ordained in 1894, going on to serve as minister of Tweedsmuir for many years.

Alongside his church work, he built a substantial writing career. Records of his books show a strong interest in Scottish literary and regional history, especially the world of Sir Walter Scott and the Borders, with titles including Footsteps of Scott, The Scott Country, Sir Walter Scott, Abbotsford, and In Praise of Tweed.

Crockett died in 1945. The surviving reference material portrays him as both preacher and litterateur: a writer deeply rooted in the Scottish Borders, and one whose work preserves the places, traditions, and literary associations of that region for later readers.