All authors have just one hero, that is the self they would have liked to be, the gallant boy they were not, the fellow who defied the master when they whimpered to be let off, who fought the wounded tiger when they would have gladly shinned up a tree.    

Samuel Rutherford Crockett (1859-1914) 

A brief biography does no justice to 'Scotland's Forgotten Bestseller' but here goes: Born in Balmaghie on September 24th 1859, Samuel Crocket was the illegitimate son of dairy maid Annie Crocket. He was brought up on the farm of Little Duchrae by his strict Cameronian maternal grandparents, and the family moved to Castle Douglas in 1867. He gained a Galloway bursary to Edinburgh University in 1876. His writing career began as a way to support himself through his studies. He had articles and short stories/sketches published in a wide range of contemporary magazines.  He travelled abroad extensively and became a Free Church minister in 1886. He married Ruth Milner in 1887 and they had four children.  His writing became successful following the publication in 1893 of ‘The Stickit Minister’ and he gave up the ministry to concentrate on his writing in 1895.  His popular, episodic and serialised style of writing ensured him bestseller status in his day and despite prolonged ill health he published on average 2 novels a year throughout his long career. He died on April 16th 1914 in France. 

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Honorary President: Richard D. Jackson.  Founder: Cally Phillips.