Alexander Ross wis born tae a fairmin femily it Torphins in Aiberdeenshire on 13 April 1699.  He wint tae Marischal College in Aiberdeen an efterhin wis the tutor tae the bairns o Sir William Forbes o Craigievar.  In 1732, he wis mad the Dominie it Lochlee in Angus far he bed tae he deid in 1784.  He maistly scrievit fir his ain entertainment; syne in 1768 his freen James Beattie, Professor o Moral Philosophy it Marischal College an fa hid bin Dominie it Fordoun, suggestit he print Helenore, or the Fortunate Shepherdess.  Helenore his ower fower thoosan rhymed lines an it wis affa weel-kent in its day.

Tho' many of the phrases are broad, the author has endeavoured, as much as possible to avoid gross indelicacies; and the reader will consider, that he represents only the expressions and sentiments of plain country people. Many of them, he is sensible, will not bear to be tried by the rites of grammar, in many cases, to have altered, would have been nearly the same as to have spoiled them.
                                                                                             Ross's preface to the orginal edition, p.4.

Ross, unlike Allan Ramsay, fa's Gentle Shepherd he lairnt fae, hid the gentry claikin in Doric; nae doot based on his time it Craigievar far the Forbes femily were weel-kent for their love of the leid (richt up tae the twintieth century).  He dedicated the buik tae Jean Duchess o Gordon (ablo) fa hid braid Scots and fa's man, Alexander 4th Duke o Gordon scrievit weel-kent poems in Doric.

Wooed and Married and a’

THE BRIDE cam’ out o’ the byre,
  And O, as she dighted her cheeks,
‘Sirs, I’m to be married the-night,
  And ha’e neither blankets nor sheets--
Ha’e neither blankets nor sheets,
  Nor scarce a coverlet too;
The bride that has a’ thing to borrow,
  Has e’en right meikle ado!’
 
Wooed and married and a’!
Married and wooed and a’!
And was she na very weel aff
That was wooed and married and a’?

Out spake the bride’s father
  As he cam’ in frae the pleugh,
‘O haud your tongue, my dochter,
  And ye’se get gear eneugh.
The stirk stands i’ the tether,
  And our braw bawsint yade
Will carry hame your corn:--
  What wad ye be at, ye jade?’
 
Out spake the bride’s mither:
  ‘What, deil, needs a’ this pride?
I hadna a plack in my pouch
  That night I was a bride.
My gown was linsey-wolsey,
  And ne’er a sark ava;
And ye ha’e ribbons and buskin’s
  Mae than ane or twa.’
 
Out spake the bride’s brither
  As he cam’ in wi’ the kye:
‘Puir Willie wad ne’er ha’e ta’en ye
  Had he kent ye as weel as I.
For ye’re baith proud and saucy,
  And no for a puir man’s wife;
Gin I canna get a better
  I’se ne’er tak’ ane i’ my life!’
 
Out spake the bride’s sister
  As she cam’ in frae the byre;
‘Oh, gin I were but married,
  It’s a’ that I desire!
But we puir folk maun live,
  And do the best we can;
I dinna ken what I should want
  If I could get but a man!’

LAIRN  MAIR ABOOT ALEXANDER ROSS

CLICK ABLO TAE KEEK IT THE HAIL BUIK

LAIRN  MAIR  ABOOT 
HELENORE, the  FORTUNATE SHEPHERDESS