Background notes by the Editor.
Tannahill generally wrote from real scenery or actual models before him, and did not indulge much in fancy or fiction. He was a true poet,—free from mercenary motives; and his love of Nature and the beautiful impelled him to put upon paper his thoughts, irrespective of pay or patron. The scenery painted in the “Soldier's Return” at once pointed out the place where the plot was laid; the portraiture of the Laird, Colonel of a Scots Regiment, indicated Robert Fulton, Esq., younger, of Hartfield and Craigmuir, Captain in the 79th Regiment or Cameron Highlanders; and the description of the other dramatis personae were evidently residents near the Alt Patrick Burn, and were said to have been a bleacher at Foxbar, and the tenant of the mailing of High Dykes, his wife, daughter, and herd.
Robert Fulton, the eldest son of Robert Fulton, Esq., of Hartfield, one of the partners of the eminent firm of Messrs. Fulton and Pollock, the extensive manufacturers of silk gauze and other valuable textile fabrics at Maxwelton of Paisley, was born in 1776. His father purchased the estate of Hartfield, including Craigmuir, in 1789; and he assumed the title of Robert Fulton, Esq., of Hartfield, and the son was called “younger of Hartfield,” and popularly by the tenants of the estate, and by the weavers of Paisley, “The young Laird.” Robert Fulton, younger of Hartfield, on his arriving at majority, in 1797, was appointed one of the first Lieutenants of the Renfrewshire Volunteers, raised after the outbreak of the French Revolution. In 1798, he obtained a commission, and entered as junior Lieutenant of the first class of Lieutenante in the 21st Regiment of Foot, or North British Fusiliers. In the year 1799, a failure of the harvest occurred, and that sad calamity affected the trade of the town considerably. The British Army, at that distressing period, required to be strengthened to meet the menaces of the French Republic; and it was considered a proper time to send recruiting parties to Paisley to enlist the young men in depressed circumstances. Party after party came to Paisley, until there were as many as twenty different recruiting parties in the town at one time. The burgh was kept in a continual state of excitement by these parties constantly parading the streets, gaudily decorated with ribbons and feathers, preceded by bands of martial music, to entice young men into their ranks. Sir Alan Cameron, the Commander of the 79th Regiment, paraded with his party, and made himself very familiar with the young men, and it became the popular regiment with the Paisley lads. In that year, Lieutenant Fulton of the Fusiliers was promoted to a Captaincy in the 76th, which increased the popularity of that corps, from the influence of the young Laird among the operatives of Paisley, and farmers' sons and servants on Gleniffer Braes and Hartfield estate, and their acquaintances. Persons who did not incline for the army, or were unfit for soldiers, removed out of town, and Tannahill and his brother Hugh went to England, where they remained nearly two years. The following year—1800, the last year of the eighteenth century, was a dark black year ; food riots occurred, so that it was called the year of the great dearth. Recruiting was still continued. The British Fleet, with troops on board, sailed from Southampton on 16th August, 1800, and arrived at Ferrol on the 25th of the same month. The fleet, after cruising on the Spanish coast, put to sea, on 23rd February, and arrived in Aboukir Bay, Egypt, on 1st March, 1801; but from the tempestuous state of the weather, landing was prevented till “March the eighth, that memorable day.” The 79th was brigaded with the 2nd and 50th regiments, and were engaged in the battles of the 16th and 21st March, 1801. The British were, on both occasions, victorious; but in the latter battle the British Army sustained an irreparable loss in the death of their distinguished Commander, Sir Ralph Abercromby. The Royal authority was granted to the 79th to bear the figure of the SPHINX, with the word EGYPT, on their colours; and Captain Robert Fulton received the decoration of a gold medal, from the Sultan Mira III., for that campaign. The regiment returned to Scotland, and landed at Kirkcaldy on 2nd August, 1802. Captain Fulton married his cousin, Miss Jane M‘Kerrell, daughter of John M‘Kerrell, Esq., of Hillhouse, Ayrshire, in November, 1803, Captain Fulton was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the 2nd Battalion on 28th May, 1807. The 79th was engaged at the bombardment of Copenhagen on 2nd September, 1807, accomplished their object, and returned to Scotland in November following. On 13th May, 1811, Lieutenant Colonel Fulton was transferred to the 1st Battalion, and took the command of the regiment at Vellades in Spain. The regiment was engaged at the Battle of Salamanca on 22nd July, 1812, and they obtained the Royal authority for the word “Salamanca” on their colours; and the Prince Regent's gold medal was conferred upon the commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Fulton. The Colonel retired from the regiment on 3rd December, 1812, returned to Scotland, resided at Maxwelton House, Paisley, and looked after the improvement of Hartfield estate. His portly form and stiff military walk was long known in Paisley streets passing between his residence and the Reading-Room. He was a Freeholder, Commissioner of Supply, and Justice of the Peace for the County of Renfrew. He died on 2nd July, 1851, in the 76th year of his age.
The tenant of the mailing of High Dykes in 1803 was Robert Dewar, who came from Kinloch Rannoch, and Jean Burton, his wife, from Aberfeldy; but when they arrived in this district of country, cannot be ascertained. In 1795, Robert Dewar became tenant on a nineteen years' tack of High Dykes mailing, lying on the east and south sides of the Ald Patrick Burn on the Newton estate, belonging to Archibald Speirs, Esq., of Elderslie. The landlord of Newton estate neither held a commission in a Scots regiment nor was he at the Battle of Aboukir in 1801. Robert Dewar was a very clannish person, and partial to Highlanders; and Mrs. Dewar was a worldly-minded woman, bent on making riches. At the time of entering upon the lease their daughter Isobel, popularly called Bell Dewar, was about thirteen years of age, and she became a very smart, active, tidy dairymaid, and drove the milk cart into Paisley, as was the custom with farmer's daughters in those days, to dispose of the dairy produce to the weavers' wives in the west end of that town. She was naturally clever, and could converse fluently both in the Gaelic and English languages. Robert Dewar and his family attended the Gaelic Church, Paisley, during the incumbency of Rev. Walter Blair. Bell Dewar, whose highland airs had been considerably mollified by Lowland manners, came to church on Sundays dressed in the prevailing fashions of the period, and from her handsome appearance and rural beauty she was called by farmers' sons “The Queen of the Gaelic Kirk.” She had wooers nine or ten, and her father favoured those with youth and Highland blood, and the worldly mother encouraged those with money, however aged. The beautiful rustic maid, as a matter of course, preferred young yellow-haired Highland laddies to the bachelors of middle age, with lyart locks. Mrs. Dewar died at High Dykes, and Robert Dewar removed at the expiry of his lease to the village of Sclates, on the road between Paisley and Johnstone, and died there in 1817 in the 72nd year of his age. Isobel Dewar was married, and she and her husband removed to Nova Scotia, where they both died. The portraiture of the bleacher is so well drawn by the poet throughout the Interlude that there can be no mistake he intended to represent Mr. William Robertson. He died a bachelor on 6th March, 1831, in the 73rd year of his age.
All these places and persons on Newton estate would be well known to Tannahill, as he frequently travelled by Ald Patrick Burn, past High Dykes, across the stream at Glenfeoch to the road, either at Craigmuir or Craigenfeoch. These remarks respecting the residents on Newton estate are supported by the rental books, which are still preserved, and confirmed by the son of the former tenant of Craigmuir, now 87 years of age, who was well acquainted with them in his youth.—Ed.