Oor Ain Folk Being Memories of Manse Life in the Mearns and a Crack Aboot Auld Times
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oV« / / X dr. National Library of Scotland *B000448374* hiLIBRARY J Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from National Library of Scotland http://www.archive.org/details/oorainfolkbeingm1894ingl OOK AIN FOLK Printed by R. &° R. Clark DAVID DOUGLAS, EDINBURGH LONDON . S1MPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT AND CO., LIM. CAMBRIDGE . MACMILLAN AND BOWES GLASGOW . JAMES MACLEHOSE AND SONS OOE AIN FOLK BEING MEMORIES OF MANSE LIFE IN THE MEARNS AND A CRACK ABOOT AULD TIMES BY JAMES INGLIS ' MAORI,' AUTHOR OP 'TIRHOOT RHYMES,' ' SPORT AND WORK ON THE NEPAUL FRONTIER,' 'OUR AUSTRALIAN COUSINS,' ' OUR NEW ZEALAND COUSINS,' 'TENT LIFE IN TIGER LAND,' ETC. ETC. EDINBUEGH DAVID DOUGLAS, 10 CASTLE STEEET 1894 All rights reserved There's kintra fowk, an' Hielant fowk ; La'land fowk, an' kent fowk : Fowk aboot, fowk i' the yaird ; But there's nae fowk like Ooe ain Fowk ! Auld Sang. DEDICATION I dedicate this book to my eldest surviving brother, LIEUT.-OOLONEL R. W. INGLIS, at whose suggestion I first conceived the idea of writing such a record, and who has been ever a loyal, loving, and true-hearted brother to me. J. I. ' Let brotherly love continue.' PEEFACE I WAS in hopes that this book would have been pub- lished about the time of the Disruption Jubilee Celebra- tions of last year, but when it was nearly finished I met with a sudden and serious accident, which for months com- pelled me to give up all active mental and physical exertion. My father was one of the heroes of the Dis- ruption movement, and the main motif of this book is to show what he did and suffered in those stirring times ' for conscience' sake.' I have used part of the pamphlet which he himself began to write, but never finished, and which he wished to leave to his sons and friends as a record and vindication of the active part he took in that memorable conflict. Other fragmentary materials have reached me from time to time, from various sources, and I have endeavoured to weave these into a connected and readable narrative ; and it appeals primarily to all who, by descent or sympathy, take a personal interest in the history of that splendid struggle for liberty of conscience and freedom of viii OOR AIN FOLK action in regard to church government, which is known as 'The Disruption of 1843.' I am hopeful, however, that my book may appeal to a wider circle of readers, namely, all who are interested in the old homely rural life of Scotland. I have tried to give glimpses and sketches of many of the quaint customs, the curious oddities of style and dress, the old-fashioned habitudes of thought, and the strongly- marked individualities of the older generation, which are fast vanishing before the breath of so-called modern progress. I humbly trust that my descriptions of the glen, the village, and country town life ; the school games and schoolboy rhymes, the rural industries, the queer characters, the humorous episodes, the peculiar institutions, the intellectual and religious outlook of the older generation, etc. etc., —may interest the general reader, and form an acceptable contribution to the deeply-interesting volume of Scottish history reminis- cence and portraiture which has been enriched by such masters of the craft as Gait, Scott, Dean Eamsay, Barrie, Crockett, George MacDonald, and many others. With such I do not seek to class myself, for I have found the demands of my own large business as a merchant, and my pretty active participation in the public life of Australia, almost more than enough to tax my energy and industry to the full. Indeed, I in- creasingly find that political and commercial pursuits are becoming more and more incompatible with the PREFACE ix exercise of the literary faculty, so that I am keenly conscious of the literary defects of this volume. I have had to work at it amid distractions that at times proved almost overwhelming, and which more than once have forced me to suspend my task altogether. In sorting my twenty years' collection of materials, I have had to set aside a multitude of stories of Scottish wit and humour, most of which I do not think have ever been printed. This collection is now almost ready for the press, and if the reception given to the present book be as encouraging as I am told by partial friends I may venture to expect, then my original collection of ' Mair Scotch Stories ' may shortly be published. To my genial friend, Professor M'Callum, of Sydney University, I must express my thanks for many a plea- sant word of kindly encouragement. JAMES INGLIS. 'Craigo.' Steathfield, N.S.W., 1st July 1893. — CONTENTS CHAPTER I Our Glen : its physical Features—My Grandfather as described in The Land of the Lindsays—My Grandmother—Private Stills—Geordie White and the Gauger—Donal' and the Bees Sandie Christison and the Bapteezin' o' the Bairn . Pages 1-12 CHAPTER II The Glen Folk : their Characteristics—The Clachan of Tarf-side —Primitive Farming—A Fine Peasantry—The Eviction Policy denounced—The Expatriation of the People—Drinking Habits —Excellence of the Whisky—Sandie's Eulogium on his Dram —Turning the Tables on the Minister— 'The Beam in the Eye' 13-21 CHAPTER III Royal Visitors to 'The Glen'—John Mitchell and the Queen's ' Powney ' —The Queen and the Herd Laddie—John and the Duke of Edinburgh—Craig-ma-skeldie—The Loch and its —— OOB AIN FOLK Surroundings—Peat-reek—Char-fishing—The Falls of Unich —Dr. Guthrie and Auld Jannie—A Shepherd's Biblical Criti- cism—An Anecdote of Dr. Guthrie's . Pages 22-32 CHAPTER IV The Glen School—The Prevalent Kindly Spirit—Farmhouse Life Character gauged from a Gastronomic Standpoint—A Stingy Mistress—Jock an' the Cheese—Two Parritch Stories —Out- spokenness : Instances—An Interrupted Grace—Jeems Wricht pronounces Doom on Buonaparte—The Minister truly a Re- presentative of the People—Value of Education—A Succession of Clerics— My Father and Uncle : their Boyhood and College Days—Parental Self-Denial—A College Challenge —A Fight and a Duel—A Brawl at Ballater—The Character of the old Manse and Old Minister—An Instance of his Quaint Humour —His Death • . 33-48 CHAPTER V The Disruption of 1843—My Father's Disposition—His Share in the Fight—His Memorials of the Disruption—His Translation to Edzell in 1841 —Great Increase of Congregation—Progress of the Controversy—Lord Panmure and Fox Maule—My Father's — Estimate of Panmure's Character ' Persecutions for Conscience' Sake ' —A Sore Bereavement—His Last Sermon in the Parish Kirk—A Noble Record ' for Conscience' Sake ' —Old Dr. Grant's Story of ' the Flesh Pots ' —The first Free Church Sermon The Tent in the Wilderness—Increasing Hardships and Diffi- culties —Fidelity of the Flock—Humour under Privations— Preaching under Difficulties—Hostile Attitude of Opponents — Progress of the Struggle — Once more in a house of his own 49-66 — CONTENTS CHAPTER VI Boyish Recollections of the Disruption Sufferings—Our Village ' ' Willie Carr—The Feeing ' or Term ' Market : its Sights and Sounds ; its Evil Features—The Minister and the Drover ' — A Forced Declaration — Encounter with Dubrach ' at Ballater Fair — My Father's Athletic Prowess — Dared by Geordie to ' Haud the Ploo ' —The Result—How he cowed the Captain — Instances of his Strength — His Emotional Nature—An Honest Man ! Pages 67-83 CHAPTER VII Our Village School —The Old-time Dominie—Anecdotes—Our Village Dominies— 'Peter Pundwecht'— 'Creeshie Pow' Home Discipline of the old Regime—The Meagre Mental Equipment of our Dominie—Contrast between the Old System ' and the New—Our School Games and Boyish Toys : Bools — and Peeries '; Hockey—Curling 'Gowf—The Teetotum Jeems Dunn's Letter—Lassies' Games—Quaint Old Rhymes and Customs—The Annual Blanket-washing—A Contrast Hogmanay—The Shorter Can-itches—School-book Rhymes ' '— ' Het Rows an' Butter Baiks ' Nifferin' —Nursery Rhymes —A Schoolboy Conspiracy and how it ended . 84-117 CHAPTER VIII Our Village Characters : their Mental Attitude—Village Poet Specimens of his Muse—Rob Osal', the Flesher—Daft Jamie- Willie Burness—Willie Hood— 'Sneeshin' on the Cheap' Robbie Welsh—Peter M'Kenzie—Anecdotes . 118-130 —A OOR AIN FOLK CHAPTEE IX Village Occupations — The Handloom Weavers — Merchants and Merchanties—Various Types—Davit Elshender—A Story of the Egg Market—How Mrs. Paitterson turned the Tables— Stingy Couple—Taking the Pledge—Strong Language—Story of Rev. Mr. Don—John Buchan's Prayer—A Banquet to the Laird—A Dear Denner—Effects of Mixing Drinks—Drinking Habits of the Time Pages 131-146 CHAPTER X My Mother's Folk—Montrose Skippers and the Baltic Trade Presents from Abroad—A Partial Eclipse—The Homespun Era — ' —Basket Mary—A Rigorous Caste System ' Tea-pairties Wullie D 's Hoose-warming—A Sma' Gless—A Heartless Drucken Husband—Painter Tarn —Anecdotes . 147-160 CHAPTER XI Local Jealousies between County Towns—Curious Nicknames ' Aspersions on Brechin—Origin of the Term ' Reed Lichties —A Sapient Toon Cooncil—Blin' Hughie o' Dundee—The ' Spooters ' o' Farfar—Celebrities —Singer Jeemer—Peter Reid and the famous ' Farfar Rock ' —The Drawl of the Mearns — Primitive Social Manners ' No the Whisky but the Here's t'ye ! ' —The Handloom Industry—Weavers' Rhymes—Bailie F and the Auctioneer—A Vanishing Bottle —Drinking Orgies and AVild Wagers — Amusing Instance of Local Jealousy 161-175 — CONTENTS CHAPTER XII Kirks—Ministers and Sermons—The Minister's Place in the Social and Intellectual Life of the People—Sermon Evolution—Ten- dency to become commonplace—A rather Exaggerated Parody ' —Impromptu oil a Dreich ' Preacher—Frank Self-criticism The Brechin Beadle—The Collections and Plate at the Door Candles—Peppermints—Anecdotes of Dr.