William Robertson Smith Stott: Book Illustrations

William Robertson Smith Stott was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, on 5 August 1878, the youngest of nine children of joiner/carpenter Alexander Stott and his wife Margaret (nee Petrie). Little is known about him.
Stott was raised in Aberdeen but subsequently moved to London. He was active as an artist from around 1905 and, by the early 1920s, was living at 14a Cheyne Row, Chelsea, London.His book illustrations included numerous romantic historical adventures, including an edition of Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson (Cassell, 1913) published with 8 colour plates by Stott. Other books illustrated by Stott include Pioneers of Australia (c.1910), The Romance of Canada (c.1910) and The Romance of India (c.1913), all edited by Herbert Strang, Two Dover Boys; or, Captured by Corsairs by Gertrude Hollis (1911), Hawkwood the Brave by William Beck (1911), The Ferry House Girls by Bessie Marchant (1912), The Air Scout by Herbert Strang (1912), The Adventurous Seven by Bessie Marchant (1914), Brave Deeds of the War by Donald A. Mackenzie (with others, 1916) and The History of Tom Jones by Henry Fielding (1934). Stott died at Belgravia Nursing Home on 19 December 1939, aged 61.

 Frontispiece

Gold-washing on the banks of the frazer

At close quarters with the buffalo

A difficult landing

An exchange of salutations on the prairie

Endpaper

Frontispiece
Governor Philip and his officers celebrate the raising of the British flag

Buckley's return to civilsation

The first landing on the site of Melbourne

A street in the Bendigo District at the time of the gold rush

1914

 Frontispiece
The Doctor's cane came cutting through the air

Saying goodbye to Mr. Runciman

Early morning in camp

 Poured past the overturned wagon

Gave them both his blessings

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