John Galt (1779 -1839) was a Scottish novelist, entrepreneur, and political and social commentator. Because he was the first novelist to deal with issues of the industrial revolution, he has been called the first political novelist in the English language. Galt's novels are best known for their depiction of Scottish rural life, tinged with ironic humour. In this book: Annals of the Parish (1821) The Life of Lord Byron (1830) Ringan Gilhaize (1823) The Provost (1822) The Life and Studies of Benjamin West (1816) The Ayrshire Legatees (1821)