Thomas Raeburn
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| Thomas Raeburn | |
|---|---|
| File:Tommy Raeburn, the Ayrshire Hermit (silhouette).jpgTommy Raeburn, the Ayrshire Hermit (silhouette).jpg Silhouette of Tommy Raeburn by John Dempsey, c. 1830s | |
| Born | 1769 Holmhead, Ayrshire, Scotland |
| 💀Died | 23 June 1843 (aged 73–74) Holmhead, Ayrshire, Scotland23 June 1843 (aged 73–74) |
| Other names | "The Ayrshire Hermit", "Tammie Raeburn", "Tommy Raeburn" |
| 💼 Occupation | Landowner, farmer |
| Known for | Eccentric appearance; local celebrity |
Thomas "Tommy" Raeburn (1769 – 23 June 1843), also known as "Tammie Raeburn" and widely known as the "Ayrshire Hermit," was a Scottish landowner, farmer, and local eccentric whose spectacular appearance and reclusive lifestyle made him a minor celebrity in Ayrshire during the early 19th century.[1]
Early life and inheritance
Raeburn was born at Holmhead, a small cottage and farm in the valley of the River Irvine, near Kilmarnock, in 1769.[2] He was the younger son of a local landowner. His portion of the paternal inheritance was the property called "Holmhead" — properly so named, but known locally as "The Ark" — a cottage and ten acres of land.[1] The property was surrounded by other holdings, with the only road access through a neighbour's farm. A dispute arose between Raeburn and the neighbour, who closed the right of way. Raeburn took the matter to court but lost the case.[1]
His father, although able to afford a liberal education for his son, was content that Raeburn should receive instruction only in simple reading and writing. The old man reportedly said, "What's the use of giein' Tam Latin or Greek, maybe he wad turn a Roman or a Papist a'thegither".[2] Throughout his life, Raeburn was fond of news and information on all subjects but never showed any peculiar liking for deep learning. It was said that he never in his life purchased a new book or a newspaper, though he possessed a Bible and a few books in a large chest.[2]
The lawsuit and the hermit's oath
Angered by his legal defeat, Raeburn swore never to shave, cut his hair, or change his coat until he received what he believed was justice. That judgment never came.[1] Over the years, his beard extended down his chest and his hair grew to a waist-length, matted dreadlock worn over his left shoulder, while his old coat slowly transformed into a fantastic, ragged patchwork.[1]
Appearance and celebrity
Although nicknamed "The Ayrshire Hermit," Raeburn was certainly not a recluse. A walk to Holmhead became a popular outing for the people of Kilmarnock and an attraction for visitors.[1] Raeburn would entertain tourists with lemonade and ginger beer (and occasionally with illegal homemade whisky) and would show off his bird-taming skills as robins from his garden perched on his beard to peck crumbs from between his lips.[1]
He kept a small dairy herd and made good cheese as well as whisky. A substantial part of his income came from tourism; an obituarist described his beard as "his almost entire stock in trade (and) the chief source of his revenue".[1] He was sufficiently famous to have his portrait appear both on the cover of a locally produced pamphlet and in the Illustrated London News.[1]
In his youth, Raeburn was a handsome and very powerful man, measuring 6 feet 2 inches in height, with a broad chest and proportionate limbs; in his old age he became bent.[2] The artist John Dempsey depicted him with long matted hair, a grey beard, a blue-and-white hat, and a dark blue jacket covered in patchwork.[3]
The chapbook account of his life records his wit. When asked by a rude customer if he had ever been drunk, Raeburn replied, "No, sir, but I'm next neighbour just now to a chiel' that's drunk as often as he can get it".[4] When a visitor asked if he might light his pipe, Raeburn said, "No, but you may light what's in your pipe".[4]
Religious views and character
Raeburn was brought up a Calvinist, but for the last thirty years and upwards of his life, he never went to church.[4] The chapbook suggests he probably felt that his outer appearance would cause more evil in and to others than all the good he could receive.[4] At one time he admitted of no visits on the Sabbath, but later his house and garden were filled on that sacred day with crowds of every age and sex from morning till night.[4]
Although Raeburn was very fond of money, he betrayed great inconsistency in some matters, suffering his farm to lie unploughed and the manure of his cattle to run to waste.[4] He left several thousands of pounds, as far as can be learned, among distant relations.[4] The chapbook observes that he never enjoyed the true comforts of life, yet perhaps enjoyed in his own way what he deemed happiness.[4]
Later life and death
Raeburn died on 23 June 1843, in the 74th year of his age, after spending the greater part of his life in the fulfilment of a foolish self-imposed vow which he rigorously kept until the day of his death.[5] He now sleeps in Stewarton Kirkyard.[5] Despite his eccentric frugality, he left an estate of £2,400 (over £100,000 in modern values).[1] Not many years before his death, the Hermit was arrested for threatening to shoot a workman who was trimming a hedge which Raeburn claimed as his own.[5]
Legacy
Raeburn's silhouette was created by John Dempsey and is held in the collection of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, presented by C. Docker in 1956.[1] A silhouette is also in the collection of Bristol Museums, dated 1830–1839.[3] His story was recounted in a chapbook printed in Scotland, a copy of which is held by the National Library of Scotland.[4] The site of his dwelling at Holmhead is noted in the Shawhill Estate article, which records that Raeburn, a well-known eccentric and gardener for John Carlyle, used to cross the River Irvine from his property at Holmhead on stilts.[6]
A local history book, Hurlford, Sixty Years Ago (1875) by M. Wilson, includes a section titled "The Ayrshire Hermit: Tammie Raeburn" with a photograph.[7] David Hansen's scholarly work Dempsey's People: A Folio of British Street Portraits, 1824–1844 (2017) provides extensive context for Raeburn and Dempsey's portrait of him.[8]
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Dempsey, John. "Tommy Raeburn, the Ayrshire Hermit, c. 1830s". Canberra: National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 6 October 2026.
Tommy Raeburn (1770–1843) lived near Kilmarnock, in the west of Scotland, his small fame deriving largely from his spectacular appearance.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 . Wikisource. 2020 – via Wikisource.
Thomas Raeburn was born here, in 1769.
|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Tommy Raeburn, the Ayrshire Hermit (silhouette on paper)". John Dempsey (artist). Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives. 1830–1839. Retrieved 6 October 2026.
A black, grey and brown silhouette on heavy paper, showing: a profile view of a standing, slightly stooped male figure with long beard.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 "Thomas Raeburn". Chapbooks printed in Scotland. Edinburgh: National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 6 October 2026.
Thomas was brought up a Calvanist, but for the last thirty years and upwards, never went to church... He left several thousands of pounds, as far as we can learn, among distant relations.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Ramble Round Kilmarnock, Chapter XIV: From Kilmarnock to Grouger". Electric Scotland. Retrieved 6 October 2026.
The eccentric Thomas Raeburn, whose memory gives to the ruin of a kind of interest, died on the 23rd of June, 1843, in the 74th year of his age, after spending the greater part of his life in the fulfilment of a foolish self-imposed vow which he rigorously kept until the day of his death. He now sleeps in Stewarton Kirkyard.
- ↑ "Shawhill Estate". Wikipedia. Retrieved 6 October 2026.
Shawhill Farm sits close to the banks of the River Irvine and once had stepping stones crossing over towards Templetonburn and the site of the old Holmhead dwelling of Thomas Raeburn, the 'Ayrshire Hermit'. Thomas Raeburn, a well known eccentric and gardener for John Carlyle, used to cross the River Irvine from his property at Holmhead on stilts.
- ↑ Wilson, M. (1875). "The Ayrshire Hermit: Tammie Raeburn. With Photograph". Hurlford, Sixty Years Ago: Its Rise, Conditions, & Celebrities, Including David Clark the Centenarian. Kilmarnock: Alfred Chas. Jonas. p. 112. Search this book on
- ↑ Hansen, David (2017). Dempsey's People: A Folio of British Street Portraits, 1824-1844. Canberra: National Portrait Gallery. p. 262. ISBN 978-0-9953975-1-4. Search this book on
External links
- Tommy Raeburn, the Ayrshire Hermit, c. 1830s at the National Portrait Gallery, Australia
- Thomas Raeburn chapbook at the National Library of Scotland
- Silhouette of Tommy Raeburn at Bristol Museums
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