found: Wikipedia, viewed 27 March 2024(Thomas Aird (28 August 1802-25 April 1876) was a Scottish poet, best known for his 1830 narrative poem The Captive of Fez; born in 1802 at Bowden, Roxburghshire; died in 1876 in Castlebank, Dumfries; after graduation, Aird resisted encouragements to become a Church of Scotland minister, instead remaining in Edinburgh to devote himself to writing; his publication debut came in 1826, with Martzoufle: a Tragedy in Three Acts, with other Poems; in the early years of his career, he also contributed articles to Blackwood's Magazine, wrote a series of essays entitled Religious Characteristics, and published The Captive of Fez, a narrative poem, in 1830; between 1832 and 1833, Aird acted as the editor of the Edinburgh Weekly Journal, succeeding James Ballantyne; from 1835, he was the editor of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Herald, a post he continued to hold for 28 years; while editor, several of his poems were published in the Herald)