Read the text of his address here [bulletin] > [transcript]

Summary of the Speech:

Tam Dalyell’s toast was a rich and personal reflection on his family’s historical connection to Scott, his admiration for Scott’s literary contributions, and his willingness to reconcile past grievances. Below are the key themes and notable points:

1. Personal Connection and Historical Tension
2. Tam Dalyell is a descendant of General Thomas Dalyell ("Bloody Muscovite"), whom Sir Walter Scott vilified in Old Mortality.
3. He felt that Scott may have unfairly tarnished his ancestor’s reputation in an attempt to make Abbotsford financially viable by using any suitable villain.
4. He humorously admitted feeling the disapproval of Scott’s portrait at the University of Edinburgh when chairing meetings.
5. Tribute to Dame Jean Maxwell-Scott
6. He paid tribute to Dame Jean, Scott’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who passed away in 2004.
7. She and her sister Patricia had worked tirelessly to maintain Abbotsford as a living monument to Scott.
8. The future of Abbotsford was uncertain following her passing.
9. Scott-Dalyell Relationship and Literary Ties
10. Despite their differences, Scott respected John Graham Dalyell’s antiquarian work.
11. Dalyell’s editions of Scottish historical texts were sources for Scott’s Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border and novels like Ivanhoe and The Abbot.
12. However, Scott’s personal references to Dalyell lacked warmth, and their interactions remained professional rather than friendly.
13. The Blackwood’s Magazine Controversy
14. Dalyell was harshly satirized in the Chaldee Manuscript (1817) published in Blackwood’s Magazine, which cruelly mocked his physical disability.
15. The satire, written by Scott’s associates John Wilson and John Gibson Lockhart, led to a defamation lawsuit, settled with a significant payout to Dalyell.
16. Scott disapproved of the Chaldee Manuscript and cautioned Blackwood’s against publishing similar attacks.
17. Scott’s Portrayal of General Dalyell
18. Old Mortality (1820) presents General Dalyell as a fanatical and brutal Royalist leader, feared even more than Claverhouse.
19. Wandering Willie’s Tale (in Redgauntlet) includes him in a ghostly banquet of infamous figures.
20. John Graham Dalyell was particularly sensitive about this portrayal and would likely have taken offense.
21. Reconciliation and Toast to Scott
22. Despite past grievances, Tam Dalyell humorously stated that the Sir Walter Scott Club was the perfect place to "bury the hatchet."
23. He concluded with a toast to the memory of Sir Walter Scott, acknowledging his immense literary legacy.

Interesting Points

• Historical Grudges in Literature: Dalyell’s toast highlights how historical reputations can be shaped (and sometimes distorted) by literary portrayals.
• Scott’s Scholarly Influence: Despite their differences, Scott’s works heavily relied on John Graham Dalyell’s antiquarian research.
• Blackwood’s Magazine Scandal: The Chaldee Manuscript episode reflects the viciousness of 19th-century literary feuds and the power of satire.
• Personal Reconciliation: Dalyell used the event to formally end the long-standing friction between the Dalyells and Scott’s legacy.

Overall, the toast was a witty, self-aware, and engaging speech that blended personal history with literary scholarship, culminating in a respectful tribute to Scott. 

Read the text of his address here [bulletin] > [transcript]

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Tam Dalyell: [Redgauntlet] (Letter 11) 4 minutes