Dougal Graham (c. 1724–1779) was a Scottish chapbook writer, pedlar, and town-crier who became one of the most prominent figures in mid-18th-century vernacular Scots literature. Born in Raploch, Stirlingshire, Graham had physical deformities, including a hunchback and a limp, which led him to pursue the wandering life of a chapman (pedlar) rather than a settled trade. In 1745, he followed the Jacobite army of Prince Charles Edward Stuart as a non-combatant camp follower, witnessing their march south to Derby and their ultimate defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.\n\nShortly after the rebellion, Graham published A full, particular, and true Account of the Rebellion in the year 1745–46 (later known as The History of the Rebellion in Britain), a popular history written in rough doggerel. As an eye-witness account, the work sold exceptionally well. Graham eventually settled in Glasgow, where he was appointed the "skellat" bellman, or town-crier, around 1770.\n\nUnder various pseudonyms, Graham authored numerous highly popular chapbooks, including Jockey and Maggy's Courtship and History of John Cheap, the Chapman. Though characterized by contemporary readers as coarse, his humorous writings are celebrated for their rich use of vernacular Scots and their valuable depictions of local folklore and superstitions. His literary contributions were later admired by figures such as Sir Walter Scott.
