Portal to the Past

Robert Pollok

Known internationally as a poet and an author, Robert Pollok was born on October 19, 1798 at North Moorhouse, Eaglesham. His father, John Pollok, was a farmer; first at North and then at Mid Moorhouse. His mother was Margaret Dickie, daughter of James and Margaret (Gemmell) of Horsehill. He received the rudiments of his education at home from his mother until the age of eight; from then until his fifteenth year he attended Mearns Parish School under the tuition of Mr Andrew Jackson.

On December 2, 1815, Robert entered Fenwick School to prepare for College and in November 1817 he attended the College of Glasgow (later known as the University of Glasgow), studying Latin on the senior side under Professor Walker, and Greek on the junior side under Professor Young. He was known to have lodged at Crown Street and to have studied Moral Philosophy under Professor Mylne from 1820 to 1821. In July 1820 he passed the examination by the United Associate Presbytery of Glasgow for admission into the Divinity Hall of the United Secession Church where he studied theology under the professorship of Dr Dick. By May 1827 he was licensed to preach the gospel.

To make some money he started to write tales, which included “Helen of the Glen” (1823), “Ralph Gemmell” and “The Persecuted Family”. His main work, however, was “The Course of Time”, which had 3, 500 verses and which was written intermittently during the period December 1825 to July 1826. The original manuscript for this work is in the College Museum, Belfast.

Robert suffered from ill-health and he contracted tuberculosis, which prompted arrangements to be made for a trip to the warmer climes of Italy for the winter. He left  Moorhouse on August 15, 1827, accompanied by his sister Mrs Gemmell, however, on arriving in London his health had deteriorated. He travelled on to Shirley Common, Southampton to stay until he would be able to travel to Italy but died on Tuesday, September 18, 1827. His last resting place was in the churchyard of Millbrook, two miles from Southampton where the Peterhead granite obelisk there bears the very fitting inscription, “His Immortal Poem is his Monument”.

On September 24, 1900, a monument was unveiled to his memory, erected at the junction of the main Glasgow-Kilmarnock road, three miles south of Newton Mearns. The inscription reads:

Professor John Wilson

John Wilson was the son of a wealthy manufacturer in Paisley and attended the school of Dr. George McLatchie, minister at Mearns. He was one of about 12 pupils who, as well as receiving a good education also had ample freedom to enjoy the Mearns countryside. Wilson became professor of Moral Philosophy at Edinburgh University in 1820 and was a well-known literary figure of the age producing poetry and articles for Blackwood’s magazine under the name of Christopher North. He met and encouraged the young Eaglesham writer, Robert Pollok. John Wilson’s reminiscences of idyllic days in Mearns were collected together in the volumes entitles “Recreations of Christopher North” and published in 1842.