THE ETTRICK SHEPHERD

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 126, 23 November 1935, Page 17

THE ETTRICK SHEPHERD

CENTENARY OF DEATH

The centenary of the death of James lj< 3ogg, the Ettrick shepherd, was com- !£ nemorated at the monthly meeting of -• ;he St. Andrew Burns Club last Mon- E iay evening, when an address on his ft life and work was given by Mr. Rob- B srt Hogg. I Mr. Hogg pointed out that the shep- £ herd's father, although at one time a g successful sheep farmer, had great g difficulty in obtaining work after his a failure following a drop in the mar- ■ ket. James was one of a large fam- eg ay, and owing to its poverty he went |§ to work as a cowherd at the age of ■ five and a. half after only three W months' schooling. But with the usual i Scot's indomitable spirit, his brief g sojourn at school did not worry him § and he set about educating himself. B From the age of 6 to 10 he continued s as a cowherd, living in a bothy or in ! the loft of a cowshed, and out of the extremely meagre wages received had saved 5s with which he bought a violin and taught himself to play. At 10 he wrote his first poem, and at 14 he set out for Edinburgh where, with his further savings, he had his small bundle of poems printed. With all its printing errors and blunders the book would not sell and Hogg went home disheartened. A copy of the book, which today is of great value, was exhibited by the speaker. Margaret Hogg, his mother, was an outstanding woman with a wonderful knowledge of Border ballads, and from her Scott obtained the majority ,of the pieces contained in his "Border Ballads." Young Hogg and Scott became lifelong friends. Hogg's next venture was the publication of a monthly magazine in Edinburgh, and this was not very successful and but for the assistance of John Grieve he would have starved. During this time, however, he wrote and published his "The Queen's Wake," which went through several editions but which, owing to the failure of the printer, returned nothing. Its success, however, introduced him to the literary people of Edinburgh, and by contributing to magazines he saved enough to get married. Of his big family there was only one boy, but the descendants of one of the girls are living in New Zealand. Mr. R. Gilkison, a solicitor in Wellington, is a direct descendant from this daughter. Thereafter book succeeded book. The Duke of Buccleuch presented him with a farm and house, where he lived till he died in 1835. The Caledonian Society employed him to collect the numberless traditional songs handed down from generation to generation in Scotland and these he recast, rewrote or polished, giving to the world his priceless collection of Jacobite songs. His amazing genius is demonstrated by his ability in many directions. He was a brilliant violinist, wrote stories and poems, was an accomplished artist, and invented a style of writing on the lines of the Bible— famous and generally described as the "Chaldees MSS." So long as Burns's name lasts, so long will the Ettrick Shepherd's name be linked with his. Indeed, Burns. Scott, and Hogg form the "Triune of Scots Literature." During the evening special Shepherd songs were sung, the singers being Mrs. Livingstone, Miss Mcßain, Mrs. McWhinnie, and Mr. Young. Miss Mackenzie being the accompanist. Pipe-Major MacCallum gave selections on the bagpipes, and supper was served by the ladies. A deputation was appointed to visit Mr. Richard Armstrong, the only surviving member of the Burns World Federation, formed in Kilmarnock 50 years ago. Mr. Armstrong, who for some time has resided in Wellington, has of late been in indifferent health, but he has never lost his interest in Scotland, its people, and its literature.