Monday 19 April 2010

Visit To Wanlockhead Lead Mines

18 April 2010
Burns visit to the lead mines at Wanlockhead with Maria Riddell in early 1792 has been the subject of much discussion on the Federation’s website Forum recently. In a letter to her mother, Maria provides a very detailed account of the conditions in the mine which lends authenticity to her statement that she did indeed visit the mine. However, local historian and Secretary of the Thornhill and District Burns Club, Ian Millar, has a strong suspicion that Burns did not accompany her and would have been on excise duty in Dumfries on that day and not ‘gallivanting’ round Upper Nithsdale with Walter Riddell and his wife young wife Maria. As yet, he does not have sufficient written evidence to prove his claim but is building up a body of circumstantial evidence which he hopes will tilt the balance in favour of his claim.

In order to further my knowledge about the subject I joined Ian and a few other Burns enthusiasts to visit the mines and discuss further the basis of his claim.
Following a most informative underground tour of Lochnell Mine with our guide Robert, we visited one of the most fascinating aspects of Hidden Treasures Museum of Leadmining, the Wanlockhead Miner’s Library.
The library houses a collection of books which have been recognised to have "Great National Importance" and can be seen as a symbol of the lead miners' culture and education. It is the second oldest subscription library in Scotland, and indeed Europe, and was established on the 1st November 1756. The library was funded by subscriptions from the miners, but a contribution was also made by mining companies in order to encourage 'self-improvement' in the miners. According to our informative guide, David Duncan (below), there was a hidden agenda, as the mining companies believed that the library would help to cut down on the unruly behaviour which existed at the time! In the middle are mannequins representing the librarian (left) and William Gass who, as the excellent audio presentation tells us, is trying to join the library by transferring his late father William Meikle’s membership certificate to his name. The library was considered very progressive in that it allowed women to subscribe.
Although we have no record of Burns having visited the library, he would almost certainly have known about it and went on to help establish and run one himself along roughly similar lines in the form of the Monklands Friendly Society at Dunscore Parish in 1789.

Thursday 15 April 2010

Clootie Dumpling Lecture


Wednesday 7 April 2010


Kay Park Burns Monument Centre was the setting for the annual ‘Clootie Dumpling’ Lecture organised by the Howff Burns Club, Kilmarnock. [Photograph courtesy of Ewan McDougal Photography]

The lecture, with the intriguing title of ‘In and Out of Tam O’Shanter,’ was delivered by Jim Thomson, President of the Ayrshire Association of Burns Clubs.



With the clootie dumpling centre stage and in front of an expectant full house in the delightful circular auditorium, Jim wove a fascinating series of strands into a comprehensive, informative and thought-provoking study of Burns’ great narrative tale. Basing his research on anecdotal evidence, previously published works and years of observing performances of the poem, Jim has amassed sufficient material for a book which he intends publishing in the very near future. Based on what I heard at the lecture, this promises to be a volume worthy of a place on the bookshelves of all serious Burnsians who want to learn more about Burns' masterpiece. Dozing off during the lecture wasn’t an option as Jim fired questions at the audience to test their knowledge of some of the less-understood words in the poem. Following my vote of thanks, Howff Club President, Lorrie Headley, invited the audience to sample the tempting array of clootie dumplings prepared by members of the club.