Prepared for the 1875 Edition.
In consequence of the severe indisposition of their father, the two brothers were written to in the latter end of the year, 1801, to come home immediately, if they had any desire to see their father in life. In the depth of winter they hurried homewards; and either in the month of December, 1801, or the month of January following, they arrived in Paisley, and attended along with the other members of the family, the bedside of a beloved parent in his last illness. M‘Laren in his biography mentions that TANNAHILL remained two years in England, and, on receiving information of his father's illness, left Bolton, and arrived in Paisley in the middle of 1802; while Ramsay states that TANNAHILL left Paisley in 1800 for England, where he remained for two years. We had great difficulty in fixing the probable date of the time when the father died, as no record of the decease existed; and the interment sheets of the Relief burying-ground of that period had been mislaid or destroyed, and no person had any recollection of the matter. From a circumstance that occurred with the brother, Hugh Tannahill, after his arrival in Paisley, we were enabled to fix the period of the two brothers arriving in town either in the end of the month of December, 1801, or early in January, 1802.
TANNAHILL, after the decease of his father, and paying the last tribute of respect to his memory, continued in town, apparently satisfied with his two years' residence in Bolton. He settled down contentedly in the house of his mother in Queen Street of Paisley, and resumed his labours at the loom. The loomshop contained steads or spaces for four looms, and the one which the Poet occupied was situated next the gable wall, to the back, near the fire-place. He sat at the loom facing the door, of the loomshop, so that he could see every person who entered the shop.
RESUMING THE MUSE.
TANNAHILL had received a Moral Epistle from his old acquaintance, James King, and in return, had written the Epistle (No. 18) to his friend in May, 1802, which showed that he had again resumed his pen after his return to Paisley from England. It also proved that he had returned from the South before the middle of the year. Some time would be taken up by King writing his Epistle to TANNAHILL in Paisley. TANNAHILL must also be allowed some time for the preparation of his poetical Epistle in answer.
In the same year and in the month of August, the Poet's brother Hugh, then twenty-two and a-half years of age, was married to Marion Allison, and TANNAHILL was the only child then remaining with his widowed mother. Silently mourning the death of her son Thomas, and the decease of her husband, she grieved that she might become burdensome to her surviving children, when the Poet, in the fervour of his heart, and to soothe the sorrows of his mother, wrote “The Filial Vow.” It was an honourable and honest expression of his unbounded affection, and showed the filial love that adorned his character. Mrs. Tannahill, however, had that strong Scots character of independence about her which enabled her, so long as she was blessed with health, to make every exertion for her own maintenance. It was not her nature to fold her arms and remain idle. Always commanding light remunerative employment from the manufacturing establishments in town, she maintained herself respectably.
RENEWAL OF FRIENDSHIP WITH HIS FORMER ACQUAINTANCES, AND FORMATION OF THE SOCIAL CLUB.
In the same year, 1802, TANNAHILL renewed his companionship with his former acquaintances of literary, poetical, and musical tastes, which was further extended
by the new intimacies which had sprung up during the Poet's absence. At that time there were a considerable number of tradesmen's clubs in Paisley for different objects. These met on Saturday evenings to engage in a little innocent convivial enjoyment, or to discuss the stirring events of that martial period. TANNAHILL'S acquaintances had frequently talked of commencing another Club. The new Club was accordingly instituted in 1803. It was composed of a select few of the admirers of literature, poetry, and music. The place of meeting was the house of Mr. Allan Stewart, Sun Tavern, 12 High Street, Paisley,—a very respectable house. The object of the meeting was for the reading and discussing of Essays, Songs, and Musical Compositions, and any other subjects which might be competently brought before the Club. The members numbered from fifteen to twenty, and they considered themselves the cream of the intellectual tradesmen in town. TANNAHILL was one of the chief promoters of the Club, and was its quietest and most inoffensive member,—never indulging in the bowl, and maintaining his temperate habits at all the meetings he attended in spite of the frequent ridicule of his associates.
"THE SOLDIER'S RETURN”.
In the year 1803, TANNAHILL was induced by Mr. Archibald Pollock, comedian, to undertake a dramatic piece, and accordingly wrote “The Soldier's Return;” but it was not much more than commenced when Pollock died. We are inclined to think that TANNAHILL considered “The Soldier's Return” a complete masterpiece; and he was not prepared for the coolness with which it was received by his friends. He had spoken and written to his acquaintances much about it, and he evidently looked upon the piece as his darling production. He pressed his friends for their criticisms; and when they reluctantly expressed their opinions, he became sullen and morose. The songs which are interspersed throughout the Interlude are the gems that adorn the piece; and it was the singing of one of these, while in manuscript, that was the means of bringing R. A. Smith and TANNAHILL together. Mr. John Ross, an eminent composer of music in Aberdeen, had been employed, and set two of these songs—“Our Bonnie Scots Lads” and “The Dusky Glen”—to music. Mr. Ross also set the songs of Thomas Campbell, author of the “Pleasures of Hope,” to music, and had composed music for London publishers.
M‘LAREN AND R. A. SMITH.
TANNAHILL only became intimately acquainted with William M‘Laren in 1803, and with R. A. Smith in January, 1804. M‘Laren, in his prospectus for publication of “The Life of the Renfrewshire Bard, ROBERT TANNAHILL,” issued in 1815, stated that he had only known him intimately for the last seven years of his life. According to that statement he would only know him previously by name or sight. It would also appear from statements made by R. A. Smith in his letters, and comparing them with other circumstances referred to by him, that he was only introduced to TANNAHILL for the first time in January, 1804. Like M‘Laren, Smith would know nothing of TANNAHILL'S private life previous to that introduction.
M‘Laren would then be 31 years of age. TANNAHILL, 29 and Smith 24. Their acquaintanceship was, therefore, not the friendship of youth, but after their characters had been formed
PERSONAL APPEARANCE AND DRESS OF THE POET.
There was nothing very striking in the personal appearance of TANNAHILL. Altogether, he was a slender, mild-looking man, his features rather inclining to the feminine. He was about five feet four inches high, and, consequently, diminutive looking; his head well proportioned; the hair a fine light brown, and his eyes a soft mild grey; his nose long and slightly aquiline, the mouth small, lips thin, and the chin round. He had a halt in his walk, and, in walking, generally preferred the middle of the road. A staid, quiet, inoffensive man, beloved by his townsmen, and frequently visited by strangers. We have seen more of the Tannahill family than any other person presently alive, and have observed the existence of a striking family likeness; in one instance, the resemblance was so perfect that we thought we saw the likeness—the bust—of TANNAHILL walking into the room in which we were sitting at the time.
The Poet dressed appropriately, modest and becoming, quite a contrast to the display of finery of his deceased brother, Thomas, already noticed. His working clothes were,—a small bonnet, a cravat round his neck, a blue jacket with metal buttons, a buff waistcoat with small buttons, cashmere breeches buttoned at the knees, worsted stockings, and leather shoes tied with leather thongs, and a white apron in front. His holiday garments were,—a beaver hat, neck tie, light blue coat with silverised or gilded buttons, buff vest, clean dressed shirt with ruffles, cashmere breeches buttoned at the knees, linen or cotton thread stockings in summer, and worsted stockings in the winter, and shoes. The Bard expended his spare cash in the purchase of books, stationery, and portages, and occasionally travelling expenses in visiting different places in Scotland for his intellectual improvement.