A. W. Yuill

Alexander Yuill was born in Greenock on 20 December 1861 and lived in Glasgow at 35 Blythswood Road working mostly in industry, mainly as a manufacturing chemist at Walter Paterson Naismith's chemical manufactures. His first foray into writing came the publication of the novelette 'Married by Proxy' in April 1892 by Sampson, Low, Marston & Co. This was later adapted for the stage and first produced by Edward Compton's comedy company on January 19 1894 at the Greenock Theatre Royal, before a tour which involved stagings in Edinburgh, London, Sheffield and Glasgow. The play would enjoy numerous stagings until the turn of the century. He was living in the Pollokshields district of Glasgow at 9 Fotheringay Road when he wrote 'Birds of Passage' and it was performed at the Theatre Royal on April 15 1915 to reasonably positive reviews. In 1922 Yuill's adaption of Robert Louie Stevenson's unfinished novel 'The Weir of Hermiston' was staged at the Glasgow Athenaeum on March 21 and along with John Brandane he co-wrote 'Glentorsa' which was first performed in 1920. Yuill and Brandane reunited to write 'The Spanish Gallion' which was first produced by the Scottish National Players in 1923. Yuill died on February 18, 1929 at 9 Fotheringay Road Pollokshields. An adaptation of 'The Spanish Galleon' was broadcast as a radio play on July 23 1929 and Yuill's adaption of 'Weir of Hermiston' was adapted by Halbert Tatlock and broadcast from Glasgow December 7, 1929.