As son-in-law and literary executor to Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832), John Gibson Lockhart (1794–1854) was uniquely placed to produce a definitive biography of the great poet and novelist. First published in 1837–8, shortly after Scott's death, this celebrated seven-volume work is based on personal memories, correspondence, and Scott's own autobiographical sketches. Wide-ranging in his purview, Lockhart is also detailed in his descriptions: the Aberdeen Journal of the day observed that the volumes trace Scott's life and literary efforts with 'the most minute distinctness'. In volume 5, Lockhart examines Scott's personal and professional life during the years 1820–5. After introducing readers to the hospitality that Scott bestowed on his guests at Abbotsford, the author then turns the reader's attention to Scott's literary achievements with the publication of The Abbot (1820) and the commencement of St Ronan's Well (1823).