Alexander Ross (poet)

Alexander Ross was born to a farming family at Torphins in Aberdeenshire.[2] He was educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen[3] and worked as private tutor for the children of Sir William Forbes of Craigievar.[4] In 1732 he became a headmaster in Lochlee, Angus, where he would live until his death in 1784. He had been in the habit of writing verse for his own amusement[5] when, in 1768, at the suggestion of James Beattie, he published Helenore, or the Fortunate Shepherdess.[6][7][8] A memorial was erected in his honour c. 1854 in the old churchyard of Angus Glen where he is buried.[2]

Robert Burns praised Alexander Ross, writing "There is I know not what of wild happiness of thought and expression peculiarly beautiful in the old Scottish song style, of which his Grace, old venerable Skinner, the author of Tullochgorum and etc., and the late Ross at Lochlee, of true Scottish poetic memory, are the only modern instances that I recollect, since Ramsay, with his contemporaries, and poor Bob Fergusson, went to the world of deathless existence and truly immortal song."[9]

• Helenore at Google Books
• Helenore at Archive.org