ABBOTSFORD  , formerly the

residence of Sir Walter Scott, situated on the S. bank of the Tweed, about 3 M . W. of Melrose, Roxburghshire, Scotland, and nearly T m. from Abbotsford Ferry station on the North British railway, connecting Selkirk and Galashiels . The nucleus of the estate was a small farm of Too acres, called Cartleyhole, nicknamed Clarty (i.e. muddy) Hole, and bought by Scott on the lapse of his lease (1811) of the neighbouring house of Ashestiel . It was added to from time to time, the last and principal acquisition being that of Toftfield (afterwards named Huntlyburn), purchased in 1817 . The new house was then begun and completed in 1824 . The general ground-plan is a parallelogram, with irregular outlines, one side overlooking the Tweed; and the style is mainly the Scottish Baronial . Into various parts of the fabric were built relics and curiosities from historical structures, such as the doorway of the old Tolbooth in Edinburgh . Scott had only enjoyed his residence one year when (1825) he met with that reverse of fortune which involved the estate in debt . In 183o the library and museum were presented to him as a free gift by the creditors . The property was wholly disencumbered in 1847 by Robert Cadell, the publisher, who cancelled the bond upon it in ex-change for the family's share in the copyright of Sir Walter's works . Scott's only son Walter did not live to enjoy the property, having died on his way from India in 1847 . Among subsequent possessors were Scott's son-in-law, J .

G .

Lockhart, J . R . Hope Scott, Q.C., and his daughter (Scott's great-granddaughter), the Hon . Mrs Maxwell Scott . Abbotsford gave its name to the " Abbotsford Club," a successor of the Bannatyne and Maitland clubs, founded by W . B . D . D . Turnbull in 1834 in Scott's honour, for printing and publishing historical works connected with his writings . Its publications extended from 1835 to 1864 . See Lockhart, Life of Scott; Washington Irving, Abbotsford and Newstead Abbey; W .

S .

Crockett, The Scott Country .