Robert Fergusson

 

We had never heard of Robert Fergusson until we stumbled across his grave and read what was on its memorial. We have no shame in admitting this, the point of this blog is to learn, so we have done exactly that and so now we must share our knowledge.

Ren has also delighted in the fact that this means she has something else to read and so has added the Works of Robert Fergusson to her new year reading list, keep an eye on our pages as we have a few new things planned for the new year as we grow into this blog!

This Scottish poet was born in Edinburgh, his birthplace now lost to history as it was demolished to make room for the hidden southern arches of the North Bridge. His parents were both from Aberdeenshire and had only moved to Edinburgh two years before his birth for work.

The young Fergusson received his schooling as a normal boy would, but we can't help but notice that his teachers were primarily ministers who are fairly touched by fame themselves. Robert Watson taught him rhetoric and William Wilkie taught him maths. The former was a historian and the latter was a poet in his own right, no points for guessing who inspired Fergusson's poeticism. During his school days he took part in a student riot which nearly caused his expulsion, but it was Wilkie that fought for him to be allowed to remain in school, especially as he was due to graduate shortly. As it was, Fergusson never graduated but this was the norm during this period of time and the young poet actually went on to write a poem called Eclogue to Wilkie's memory.

Robert moved back to Edinburgh in 1768 after the death of his father and followed in his footsteps by becoming a copyist in order to support his mother as it had been widely assumed that as the last Fergusson to remain unmarried and in Edinburgh, he was dutybound. His maternal uncle who had funded Robert disowned him after an argument and so the young man was forced to take a job. He was qualified to work in medicine, religion, or law but refused them all in favour of a copyist. 

This young man, fresh from university and following his father's footsteps then became part of the whirling Edinburgh social crowed. Writers, playwrights, actors, Opera singers, and publishers formed his social circle and through this he was invited to write for the stage and his poems/songs were Scot. 

His social life evolved into being accepted into the Cape Club. Each member was said to have a name and character assigned to him and must keep up this charade at all gatherings. Fergusson was Sir Precentor.

Most famous for his masterpiece Auld Reekie about his hometown, Fergusson was a hard critic of himself and so went on to destroy many of his works and manuscripts which eludes to why not many of them survive to this day. Despite his hectic and wide social life it is believed that he suffered from depression. Evidence toward this conclusion is drawn from his later poems which seemed more melancholic than his previous works. It's also recorded that when the poet John Cunningham died in an asylum, Robert feared a similar fate. He dedicated a poem to the Irish poet and then about a year later suffered a horrific fall down some steps and came away with a head injury. He was interred against his will to Edinburgh's Darien House Hospital and a few weeks later died. His death was described as obscure, he was only 24.

What actually drew us to his grave was the mention of both Robert Burns and Robert Louis Stevenson. Ren has read works by both of these men and the mention of them got her attention. Fergusson was buried in an unmarked grave upon his death in 1774. Heavily inspired by his works, Robert Burns privately commissioned a grave marker in 1787 of his own design, it was placed two years later. This stone was then restored in 1850 by another Scottish Poet, Robert Gilfillan, and then in the 19th century Robert Louis Stevenson expressed his intention to renovate it again but he died before he could put this into action. His planned epitaph was added in 1995. It's not lost on us that all these men have something else in common aside from the arts...

This was one of the more well kept areas of Canongate Kirkyard and Fergusson is honoured within Edinburgh several other ways following the unforgivable act of placing him in an unmarked grave (Ren wont forgive this, it's taboo for her. She's a stickler for honouring the dead and has a whole fear about people, including her, being forgotten in death. Disney's Coco really hit home for her). He's one of the 16 Scottish poets and writers depicted on the lower section of the Scott Monument. He also has a dedicated plaque in St Giles Cathedral as well as an independent statue by David Annand placed outside of the Kirkyard.

Robert Fergusson, the Scottish Poet, widely unheard of outside of Scotland, we see you, now others will too.