Captain Cuthbert Clutterbuck

Captain Cuthbert Clutterbuck was the hypothetical editor of some of Sir Walter Scott's novels, such as The Monastery and The Fortunes of Nigel. The Abbot is dedicated by the "author of Waverley" to "captain Clutterbuck," late of his majesty's—infantry regiment.

Captain Clutterbuck, a retired officer, employs himself in antiquarian researches and literary idleness, and is described in this excerpt about his pseudonym from Sir Walter Scott's The Monastery.

While I am on the subject I may add, that Captain Clutterbuck, the imaginary editor of the Monastery, has no real prototype in the village of Melrose or neighbourhood, that ever I saw or heard of. To give some individuality to this personage, he is described as a character which sometimes occurs in actual society--a person who, having spent his life within the necessary duties of a technical profession, from which he has been at length emancipated, finds himself without any occupation whatever, and is apt to become the prey of ennui, until he discerns some petty subject of investigation commensurate to his talents, the study of which gives him employment in solitude; while the conscious possession of information peculiar to himself, adds to his consequence in society. I have often observed, that the lighter and trivial branches of antiquarian study are singularly useful in relieving vacuity of such a kind, and have known them serve many a Captain Clutterbuck to retreat upon; I was therefore a good deal surprised, when I found the antiquarian Captain identified with a neighbour and friend of my own, who could never have been confounded with him by any one who had read the book, and seen the party alluded to.

Editor's Note: emphasis added.