Today in 1771 Sir Walter Scott, poet and novelist, was born in Edinburgh. Scott's first successes lay in the field of poetry, where his "The Lay of the Last Minstrel" brought him instant fame. However a series of bad business decisions, including those of buying a stake in both his printer and publisher. Both suffered during the crash of 1826 and Scott himself was bankrupted, and he died in 1832 having had to write furiously during the last years of his life to pay off his creditors. For more information about Sir Walter Scott, visit http://www.clanscottsociety.org/linked/SirWalter.html David Scott Scott Surname List Administrator