“My father is a Highlander, and was born in Argyllshire, and there,
when he was 14 or 15, he enlisted for a piper into the 92nd. They wear
the national costume in that regiment--the Campbell tartan. Father
married whilst he was in Scotland. We are six in family now, and my big
brother is 17, and I’m getting on for 15--a little better than 14. We
and another brother of 10, all of us, go about the streets playing the
bagpipes.
“Father served in India. It was after I was born (and so was my other
brother of 10) that the regiment was ordered over there. Mother came up
to England to see him off, and she has stopped in London ever since.
Father lost a leg in the Punjaub war, and now he receives a pension
of 1_s._ a-day. Mother had a very bad time of it whilst father was
away; I don’t know the reason why, but father didn’t send her any
money. All her time was taken up looking after us at home, so she
couldn’t do any work. The parish allowed her some money. She used to
go for some food every week. I can remember when we were so hard up.
We lived principally on bread and potatoes. At last mother told Jim he
had better go out in the streets and play the bagpipes, to see what
he could pick up. Father had left some pipes behind him, small ones,
what he learnt to play upon. Jim wasn’t dressed up in the Highland
costume as he is now. He did very well the first time he went out; he
took about 10_s._ or so. When mother saw that she was very pleased,
and thought she had the Bank of England tumbled into her lap. Jim
continued going out every day until father came home. After father lost
his leg he came home again. He had been absent about eighteen months.
The pipers always go into action with the regiment. When they are
going into the field they play in front of the regiment, but when the
fighting begins they go to the side. He never talks about his wound.
I never heard him talk about it beyond just what I’ve said; as to how
they go into war and play the regiment into the field. I never felt
much curiosity to ask him about it, for I’m out all day long and until
about 10 o’clock at night, and when I get home I’m too tired to talk; I
never think about asking him how he was wounded.
“When father came home from India he brought 10_l._ with him. He
didn’t get his pension not till he got his medal, and that was a good
while after--about a year after, I should say. This war they gave
the pension directly they got home, but the other war they didn’t.
Jim still continued playing in the streets. Then father made him a
Highland suit out of his old regimentals. He did better then; indeed
he one day brought home a pound, and never less than five, or nine
or ten, shillings. Next, father made me a suit, and I used to go out
with Jim and dance the fling to his bagpipes. I usen’t to take no
carpet with me, but dance in the middle of the road. I wear father’s
regimental-belt to this day, only he cut it down smaller for me.
Here’s his number at the end of it, 62, and the date, 1834--so it’s
twenty-two years old, and it’s strong and good now, only it’s been
white buff leather, and my father’s blacked it. We didn’t take much
more money going out together, but we took it quicker and got home
sooner. Besides, it was a help to mother to get rid of me. We still
took about 10_s._ a-day, but it got lesser and lesser after a time. It
was a couple of years after we come out that it got lesser. People got
stingier, or perhaps they was accustomed to see us, and was tired of
the dancing. Whilst I was doing the dancing, father, when I got home
of a night, used to teach me the bagpipes. It took me more than twelve
months to learn to play. Now I’m reckoned a middling player.
“When I could play I went out with my big brother, and we played
together; we did the tunes both together. No, I didn’t do a bass, or
anything of that; we only played louder when we was together, and so
made more noise, and so got more attention. In the day-time we walked
along the streets playing. We did better the two playing together than
when I danced. Sometimes gentlemen would tell us to come to their
houses and play to ’em. We’ve often been to General Campbell’s and
played to him, whilst he was at dinner sometimes, or sometimes after.
We had 5_s._ or half-a-sovereign, according to the time we stopped
there. There was about six or seven gentlemen like this, and we go to
their houses and play for them. We get from one shilling to five for
each visit. When we go inside and play to them it’s never less than
5_s._ They are all Scotch gentlemen that we go to see, but we have done
it for one Englishman, but he’s the only one.
“When my little brother John was old enough to go out, father made him
a Highland suit, and then he went out along with my big brother and
danced to his playing, and I went out by myself. I did pretty well, but
not so well as when I was with Jim. We neither did so well as when we
were together, but putting both our earnings together we did better,
for the two separated took more than the two joined.
“My little sister Mary has been out with me for the last month. Father
made her a suit. It’s a boy’s, and not a girl’s costume, and she goes
along with me. Whilst I play, she goes up to ladies and gentlemen
and asks for the money. They generally give her something. She never
says anything, only makes a bow and holds out her little hand. It was
father’s notion to send her out. He said, ‘She may as well go out with
one of you as be stopping at home.’ She stops out as long as I do. She
doesn’t get tired, at least she never tells me she is. I always carry
her home at night on my back. She is eight years old, and very fond of
me. I buy her cakes as we go along. We dine anywhere we can. We have
bread and cheese, and sometimes bread and meat. Besides, she’s very
often called over and given something to eat. I’ve got regular houses
where they always give me dinner. There’s one in Eaton-place where
the servants are Scotch, and at the Duke of Argyle’s, out Kensington
way, and another at York-terrace, Camden-town. It’s generally from
Scotch servants I get the food, except at the Duke’s, and he orders me
a dinner whenever I come that way. It ain’t the Lowland Scotch give
me the food, only the Highland Scotch. Highlanders don’t talk with a
drawl, only Lowlanders. I can tell a Highlander in a minute. I speak a
few words of Gaelic to him.
“So you see I never have occasion to buy my dinner, unless I’m out at
a place where I am too far to go, but I generally work up to my eating
places.
“It’s about three years now since I’ve been out playing the pipe. Jim
and Johnny go together, and I go with Mary. Between the two we take
about 5_s._ a-day, excepting on Saturdays. I get home by ten, and have
supper and then go to bed; but Jim he sometimes doesn’t come till very
late, about one in the morning. At night we generally go down to the
Haymarket, and play before the public-houses. The ladies and gentlemen
both give us money. We pick up more at night-time than in the day. Some
of the girls then make the gentlemen give us money. They’ll say, ‘Give
the little fellow a penny.’ The highest I ever had given me at one
time was a Scotch lady at a hotel in Jermyn-street, and she gave me a
sovereign. I’ve often had half-a-crown give me in the Haymarket. It’s
always from Scotch gentlemen. English have given me a shilling, but
never more; and nearly all we take is from Scotch people. Jim says the
same thing, and I always found it so.
“I’ve had a whole mob round me listening. Some of them will ask for
this tune, and some for that. I play all Scotch tunes. ‘The Campbells
are coming’ is the chief air they like. Some ask for the ‘Loch Harbour
no more.’ That’s a sentimental air. ‘The Highland Fling,’ that is very
popular; ‘Money Musk,’ and the ‘Miss Drummond of Perth’ is another they
like very much. Another great favourite is ‘Maggie Lauder.’ That’s a
song. When I play in a gentleman’s room I don’t put the drone on, but
only play on the chanter, or what you would call the flute part of it.
I cut off the drone, by putting the finger in the tall pipe that stands
up against the shoulder, which we call the drone pipe. The wind goes
up there; and if you stop it up, it don’t sound. A bagpipes has got
five pipes--the chanter, the drone pipe, the two tenor pipes, and the
blow-stick, through which you send the wind into the bag, which is of
sheep-skin, covered with green baize. Every set of pipes is all alike.
That’s the true Highland pipe. When I’m playing in the streets I put
the drone on, and I can be heard miles off. I’ve very often had a horse
shy at me. He won’t pass me sometimes, or if they do, they shy at me.
“I get the reeds which go inside my pipes, and which make the noise,
from the Duke of Argyle’s piper. He’s a good friend to me, and very
fond of me. They’re made of thin pieces of split cane, and it’s the
wind going through them that makes them jar and give the music. Before
I play, I have to wet them. They last me six or seven months, if I take
care of them. The Duke of Argyle’s piper never grumbles when I go for
new ones. When I go to him he makes me play to him, to see how I’ve
got on with my music. He’s a splendid player, and plays from books.
I play by ear. His pipes are of ebony, and with a silver chanter or
flute-pipe. He plays every day to the Duke while he’s at dinner. My
pipes are made out of cocoa-nut wood.
“I know the Duke very well. He’s very kind to his clan. He’s Campbell
clan, and so am I. He never spoke to me; but he told the servants to
give me dinner every time I came that way. The servants told me the
Duke had promised me my dinner every time I came. When I touch my
bonnet, he always nods to me. He never gave me only a shilling once,
but always my dinner. That’s better for me.
“I wear the regular Highland costume, but I don’t wear the Campbell
plaid, only the Stuart, because it’s cheaper. My kilt ain’t a regular
one, because it’s too dear for me. In a soldier’s kilt it’s reckoned
there’s thirty-two yards; mine has only got two and a half. My philibeg
ought by rights to be of badgers’ skin, with a badger’s head on the
top, and with tassels set in brass caps; but my philibeg is only
sheep-skin. The centre is made up to look like the real one. Father
makes all our clothes. He makes the jackets, and the belts even, down
to the German silver buckles, with the slide and the tip. He cuts them
out of sheet metal. He casts our buttons, too, in pewter. They are
square ones, you see, with a Highlander on them. He makes our shoes,
too, with the little buckle in front. Mother knits the stockings. They
are mixed--red and blue mixed. I wear out about three a-year. She
makes about twelve pairs a-year for us all. We buy our tartan and our
bonnets, but make the pewter thistles at the side and the brooch which
fastens the scarf on one shoulder. A suit of clothes lasts about twelve
months, so that father has to make four suits a-year for us all; that
is for Jim, myself, Johnny, and Mary. The shoes last, with repairing,
twelve months. There’s twenty buttons on each coat. Father has always
got something to do, repairing our clothes. He’s not able to go out for
his leg, or else he’d go out himself; and he’d do well playing, for
he’s a first-rate piper, but not so good as the Duke’s.
“We go about with our bare legs, and no drawers on. I never feel cold
of my legs; only of my fingers, with playing. I never go cold in the
legs. None of the Highlanders ever wear drawers; and none but the rich
in Scotland wear stockings and shoes, so that their legs are altogether
bare.
“When I’m marching through the streets, and playing on the pipes, I
always carry my head high up in the air, and throw my legs out well.
The boys will follow for miles--some of them. The children very often
lose theirselves from following me such a way. Even when I haven’t
my pipes with me the boys will follow me in a mob. I’ve never been
ill-treated by boys, but a drunken man, often on a Saturday night,
gives me a push or a knock. You see, they’ll begin dancing around me,
and then a mob will collect, and that sets the police unto me; so I
always play a slow tune when drunken men come up, and then they can’t
dance. They’ll ask for a quick tune, and as I won’t play one, they’ll
hit me or push me about. The police never interfere unless a mob
collects, and then they are obliged, by their regulations, to interfere.
“I never carried a dirk, or a sword, or any thing of that. My brother
used to have one in his stocking; but one day he was called up into a
public house, where there was a lot of French butlers and footmen, and
they would have him to play; and when he had for some time they begun
to pull him about, and they broke his pipes and snapped the chanter in
two; so Jim pulled out his dirk, and they got frightened. They tried
to take it from him, but they couldn’t. He’s a bold fellow, and would
do anything when he’s in a passion. He’d have stuck one of the French
fellows if he could. When father heard of it he took the dirk away, for
fear Jim should get into mischief.
“When I’ve been playing the pipes for long I get very thirsty. It’s
continually blowing into the bag. I very seldom go and get any beer;
only at dinner half-a-pint. I go to a pump and have a drink of water.
At first it made me feel sick, blowing so much; but I very soon got
used to it. It always made me feel very hungry, blowing all day long; I
could eat every two or three hours. It makes your eyes very weak, from
the strain on them. When I first went out with my brother, playing, I
used to have to leave off every now and then and have a rest, for it
made my head ache. The noise doesn’t affect the hearing, nor has it
Jim: but my father’s quite deaf of the left ear, where the drones goes.
I never have the drones on, only very seldom. When I have them on I
can’t hear anything for a few seconds after I leave off playing.
“Sometimes, of wet nights, I go into public-houses and play. Some
publicans won’t let you, for the instrument is almost too loud for a
room. If there’s a Scotchman in the tap-room he’ll give me something. I
do well when there’s good company. I only go there when it rains, for
my usual stand of an evening is in the Haymarket.
“The bagpipes I play on were sent from Edinburgh. Father wrote for
them, and they cost 30_s._ They are the cheapest made. There are some
sets go as high as a 100_l._ They are mounted with gold and silver. The
Duke of Argyle’s piper must have paid 100_l._ for his, I should say,
for they are in silver. The bag is covered with velvet and silk fringe.
There’s eight notes in a long pipes. You can’t play them softly, and
they must go their own force.
“I know all those pipers who regular goes about playing the pipes in
London. There’s only four, with me and my brother--two men and us two.
Occasionally one may pass through London, but they don’t stop here more
than a day or two. I know lots of them who are travelling about the
country. There’s about twenty in all. I take about 15_s._ a-week, and
Jim does the same. That’s clear of all expenses, such as for dinner,
and so on. We sometimes take more, but it’s very odd that we seldom has
a good week both of us together. If he has a good week, most likely
I don’t. It comes, taking all the year round, to about 15_s._ a-week
each. We both of us give whatever we may earn to father. We never go
out on a Sunday. Whenever I can get home by eight o’clock I go to a
night-school, and I am getting on pretty well with my reading and
writing. Sometimes I don’t go to school for a week together. It’s
generally on the Wednesday and Thursday nights that I can get to
school, for they are the worst nights for working in the streets. Our
best nights are Saturday and Monday, and then I always take about 5_s._
Tuesday it comes to about 3_s._; but on Wednesday, and Thursday, and
Friday, it don’t come to more than 2_s._ 6_d._; that’s if I am pretty
lucky; but some nights I don’t take above 6_d._; and that’s how I put
it down at 15_s._ a-week, taking the year round. Father never says
anything if I don’t take any money home, for he knows I’ve been looking
out for it: but if he thought I’d been larking and amusing myself, most
likely he’d be savage.”