John Paul Jones: The Scottish Beginning
DsMaxwell / CC BY-SA 4.0
A modest cottage by the Solway marks the Scottish beginning of a life that became part of the American Revolution.
John Paul was born at Arbigland near Kirkbean in 1747, the son of the estate's head gardener. He went to sea young and his life soon developed strong connections with Virginia and the American colonies. He later entered the Continental Navy during the struggle for independence. Long after his death, American naval figures and organisations also helped preserve his Scottish birthplace.
The small cottage places his childhood within the working life of the Arbigland estate. Nearby, the Solway and port landscape make the move towards a life at sea feel less remote than it does on the page.
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