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William Wright was born in 1782 in The Row, Ednam and was the eighth out of 13 children. Sadly he was paralysed from birth and was unable to walk. He was educated by his parents who taught him to spell his way through the Bible which was his first reading book. He built on his learning from a friend who used to walk out from Kelso and teach him how to write. From this time onwards, his chief pastime became reading, day dreaming and writing poetry. When he was 19 his father died and when he was 30 , his mother also died. He spent 2 winters with his brother at Newton Don, then a 3rd winter at Humehall, after which he returned to Ednam and vowed not to leave his cottage again! In summertime, he rose at six and sat by the window until his helper came, after breakfast he was placed in a small wheelchair and she wheeled him to the churchyard where she left him under the shade of a favourite tree until sundown. He passed the hours sometimes reading, writing and watching the birds. During the long winter evenings, he would have visits from the laird of Ednam and Samuel Robertson who was the brewer here but his favourite visitor was Miss Anna Waldie who never failed him and always ensured there was enough oil in his lamp for his reading and writing. She persuaded him to send his rhymes to the printer and his book was published in 1819 and was a great success. Wight lived through the Napoleonic Wars and wrote a poem called “The Tears of Switzerland” as the country was conquered by Napoleon. However he was more akin to writing more peaceful verses about nature prompted by his days sitting in the quietness of Ednam kirkyard. Titles such as “To a Robin Redbreast”, “To a Thrush”, “To a Wildflower” and one to his friend Anna Waldie as follows:-
"Who through the wood from Hendersyde
Who brought me flowers of fairest hue |
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