An account of the life of the famous Poetess of Dun will be given at the University of Dundee tomorrow, January 15.
Violet Jacob (1863-1946) was well-known for her Scottish tales and verses, as well as her connections with the House of Dun. Violet was also related to King William IV. Tomorrow's speaker, Wendy McDonald, is Property Manager, House of Dun, by Montrose.
Violet was born into the Kennedy-Erskine family, an aristocratic family who owned the Dun estate for hundreds of years. As a child she learned to speak Scots because she was "aye in and oot amo' the ploomen's feet" - she spent a great deal of time with the ploughmen on the estate's main farm. Violet loved poetry and words and earned a reputation as a fine writer of poetry, novels and children's stories. Her native area provided much of the inspiration for her work. Amongst her best- loved works are the poems "The Wild Geese" and the "Tam I' the Kirk". Her collection of 1915 "The songs of Angus" is still popular.
The lecture takes place in the Tower Extension Theatre at 2pm - 3pm, entry £1.
By Jane Smernicki, Press Officer 01382 344768 j.m.smernicki@dundee.ac.uk