Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Carrick, John Donald
CARRICK, JOHN DONALD (1787–1837), song writer and journalist, was born at Glasgow in April 1787; his father was originally of Buchlyvie, Stirlingshire (‘Biographical Sketch’ to Carrick's Laird of Logan, p. ix). Carrick was early put into the office of Nicholson, a Glasgow architect, which office he left about 1805 for a clerkship in a counting-house (ib. x). In 1807 he ran away, and walked to London, where a Scotch tradesman gave him a trial as shopboy. In 1809 he obtained employment with Spodes & Co., potters in Staffordshire, who had extensive warehouses in London; and with them he acquired sufficient knowledge of china to return to Glasgow, 1811, and set up business in Hutcheson Street. There he also took to writing, producing several humorous Scotch songs, and his ‘Life of Wallace’ for the young; but in 1825 a prolonged litigation led to his insolvency. As agent to manufacturers he subsequently visited the highlands, and acquired the Gaelic language. On returning to Glasgow in 1828 he was engaged as sub-editor of the ‘Scots Times;’ contributed articles to the ‘Day,’ a Glasgow daily paper, which lasted only six months; and produced, 1830, his extended ‘Life of Sir William Wallace of Elderslie,’ 2 vols., this forming vols. liii. and liv. of Constable's ‘Miscellany.’ In 1832 he edited and partly wrote ‘Whistle-Binkie, or the Piper of the Party,’ a collection of humorous songs. In 1833 he accepted the full editorship of the ‘Perth Advertiser,’ but quarrelled with the managing committee in a year, and in February 1834 started the ‘Kilmarnock Journal.’ Carrick again fell out with the proprietors, and was attacked by paralysis of the mouth; in 1835 he returned to Glasgow, his health completely shattered. He edited and contributed to the ‘Laird of Logan,’ a collection of Scotch tales and witticism, which appeared in 1835. From Rothesay he contributed some papers to the ‘Scottish Monthly Magazine,’ and announced a new work, ‘Tales of the Bannock Men;’ but he died 17 Aug. 1837, aged 50. A comedy was left by him in manuscript, with the title ‘Logan House, or the Laird at Home.’ A new edition of the ‘Laird of Logan,’ accompanied by an anonymous ‘Biographical Sketch,’ came out in 1841; and ‘Whistle-Binkie’ has appeared in numerous issues in 1838, 1839, 1842, 1845, 1843, 1853, and as late as 1878, much enlarged.
[Biographical Sketch to the Laird of Logan, ed. 1841. pp. 9–12, 14, 20–23, 26, 27; Preface to Carrick's Life of Sir William Wallace of Elderslie, ed. 1830, p. vi.]