John Crawford - house painter and poet

John Crawford was born in Greenock in 1816.  After serving his apprenticeship with Reid, Huie & Co chandlers, West Breast, Greenock he worked as a house painter and when he was 18 years old moved to Alloa and worked there.  As well as working to provide for his family, John Crawford also wrote poetry.

 

He published a collection of his poems and songs - “Doric Lays” in 1850, dedicated to Alloa merchant Alexander Bald (1783-1859), who had encouraged Crawford in his writing.  Crawford’s poems cover a wide variety of subjects, both homely tales of everyday life and more general works.  Many were written Scots and some in English.  He was also responsible for the illustration on the front of the edition of his work.

My Auld Wifie Jean

My couthie auld wifie aye blithesome to see,

As years slip awa’ aye the dearer to me;

For ferlies o’fashion I carena ae preen,

When I cleek to the kirk we’ my auld wifie Jean.

In 1835 he married Jean McDougal in Alloa and the couple had three sons and a daughter – Alexander Hope Crawford, born in 1841, William Motherwell Crawford, born in 1845, Mary McPherson Crawford born in1852 and Andrew McDougal Crawford born in 1854.  One of the sons may have died young, two of his sons and his daughter later settled in Canada.  Many of his poems and songs refer to children –

Mother’s Pet

Mother’s bairnie, mother’s dawtie,

Wee, wee steering stumping tottie,

Bonnie dreamer, - guileless glee

Lights thy black and laughing e’e.

John Crawford died in Alloa in 1873.  It was reported that he had just returned from a visit to Greenock, to see his daughter off to stay with her brothers in Canada.

He was also interested in history and had been in the process of writing “Memorials of Alloa”.  It was published after his death.  Rev Charles Rogers (who had a lot to do with the plans for the Wallace Monument in Stirling) wrote a memorial of Crawford’s life at the beginning of the book. 

There was another aspect to John Crawford’s life, apart from his poetry that made him interesting to the public.  He was related to Highland Mary (Mary Campbell) who was one of the loves of Scottish poet Robert Burns.

Crawford was the son of Alexander Crawford, a carpenter in Greenock and Mary McPherson.  His mother was the daughter of Peter McPherson and Mary Campbell (who may have been Highland Mary's aunt).  It was said that he was born in his grandmother’s house in Charles Street – the same one where Highland Mary died.  Highland Mary was buried in the Old West Kirkyard in a plot owned by Peter McPherson, Crawford’s grandfather.  

Interestingly, at the Burns Exhibition in Glasgow in 1896 there was an exhibit labelled “Dram glass given by Mrs Burns (Jean Armour) to Peter McPherson, uncle to Highland Mary.  Presented by Mrs Crawford, widow of the late John Crawford, author of “Doric Lays, etc", to James F Lyon, Alloa, 27 May 1896.”  You can view it here.

He was obviously an admirer of Burns for on 25 January 1859 (the centenary of the birth of Burns) he held a dinner at his home and it was described as “The Gathering o' the Bards”.

An unpopular minister!

Back in the 18th century, church ministers were chosen by the local landowner.  Of course not every churchgoer was happy about that.  However, many congregations found ways of showing their disapproval when the lord of the manor chose a minister who was not liked.  Greenock was no exception.

Old West Kirk, Greenock

In 1786 John Shaw Stewart, the patron, presented the Rev Allan McAulay to the Presbytery as his chosen candidate for the vacancy at the Old West Kirk.  He was to be introduced to his new congregation on Sunday 19 May.  The day was not without incident.

When the beadle went to open up the church, he found that the doors had been barricaded shut and even the door into the pulpit had been fastened with nails and then the heads of the nails cut off.  The bell ropes had also been cut, so that the bell could not be rung on that morning.  Things were put right just in time for morning service.  Enquiries were made into who could have done this, but no culprits were found.  Some of those questioned stated that “those who had shut up the kirk were well warranted to do so from the word of God”.  It had obviously been a popular move.  Eventually, however, Rev McAulay was installed as the new minister. 

List of Ministers, Old West Kirk, Greenock

McAulay remained at Greenock for just three years, during which time he complained about the state of the manse, a new one was eventually built after he left.  He also disagreed with the Dr Adam, minister of the Mid Parish regarding when communion should be celebrated in the town.  He also caused some disquiet due to his “irregular marriage … and other scandalous conduct".  He was suspended from his post while an investigation took place and died shortly afterwards in 1791.  (Source - "Old Greenock", George Williamson (1888).)

For two years prior to his death during his suspension, pulpit supply had been provided by a number of different preachers.  Two months after McAulay’s death, much to their relief, the congregation got a new Minister – the Rev Robert Steele who remained their minister for 40 years.

Rev Robert Steele's gravestone Old West Kirkyard

A very similar scene is wonderfully described in the novel Annals of the Parish by John Galt, describing the introduction of the Rev Micah Balwhidder to his new parish in 1760:-

"First, of the placing – It was a great affair; for I was put in by the patron, and the people knew nothing whatsoever of me, and their hearts were stirred into strife on the occasion, and they did all that lay within the compass of their power to keep me out, insomuch, that there was obliged to be a guard of soldiers to protect the presbytery.”

He continues – “When we got to the kirk door, it was found to be nailed up, so as by no possibility to be opened.  The serjeant of the soldiers wanted to break it, but I was afraid that the heritors would grudge and complain of the experience of a new door, and I supplicated him to let it be as it was; we were, therefore obligated to go in by a window, and the crowd followed us, in the most unreverent manner, making the Lord’s house like an inn on a fair day, with their grievous yelly-hooing”!

John Galt

John Galt (1779-1839) moved to Greenock with his parents in 1789 and no doubt heard the story of McAulay’s welcome to the Old West Kirk.  Annals of the Parish was one of Galt’s most popular works and was published in 1821.