John Murdoch

Life and character

Murdoch's parents were John Murdoch, a teacher and session clark in Auchinleck, and Margaret Robinson. The family lived in Ayr's Sandgate in a two-storey house, long demolished, but marked with a plaque.

He was a member of the Dumfries Volunteers, serving as a first lieutenant.

In 1776 Murdoch was sacked after around three years from his position at Ayr Burgh School on 14 February 1776, following his intoxicated slanderous comments against the Rev. William Dalrymple, The complaint recorded by the Procurator-Fiscal stated that Mrs Tennent, an inn-keeper and a weaver, Patrick Auld had overheard these "unworthy, base, reproachful and wicked expressions". and one entitled Rules to be Observed by the Natives of Scotland for Attaining a Just Pronunciation of English a book that made its way into John Walker's 1802 dictionary. He died in dire poverty

He was provided with room and board by the children's parents in rotation and the school building was close to the Burnes family home, sadly demolished in 1878. After the family moved to Mount Oliphant, Robert and Gilbert continued to attend his school in Alloway for another two years, walking there and back, but their attendance was irregular. Murdoch went to work for a wealthy farmer who had a number of sons.

When Murdoch was about to leave to work in Carrick he decided to spend the night with the Burnes family and brought a small compendium of English Grammar and the book Titus Andronicus. Murdoch read the play out loud and all went well until till he came to the part where a female in the play has her hands cut off and her tongue cut out. At this point, the family "with one voice desired that he would read no more". William Burnes observed, that "if we would not hear it out, it would be needless to leave the play with us. Robert replied that if it was left he would burn it". William considered rebuking Robert for this response to his tutor's kindness, but Murdoch commented "that he liked to see so much sensibility". He left instead a comedic work, the School for Love.

Murdoch moved away for several years, returning to Ayr from Dumfries in 1772 and Burns wrote that he "sent us Pope's Works, and some other poetry, the first that we had an opportunity of reading, excepting what is contained in the English Collection, and in the volume of the Edinburgh Magazine for 1772". and he also began to learn French during the last two weeks, reading Fénelon's Telemaque. His father had also intended that Robert would become better able to instruct his brothers and sisters.

Murdoch was appointed at Ayr Burgh School as the "established teacher of the English language" and also the ex officio Ayr literary Society librarian, a position that enabled William Burnes to borrow books for his family even though they were not members.

In a letter to James Currie, Murdoch said that William Burnes was 'The saint, the father, and the husband' "a tender and affectionate father of whose manly qualities and rational and Christian virtues he would not pretend to give a description ... In this mean cottage I really believe there dwelt a larger portion of content than in any palace in Europe."

Murdoch visited his old pupil, William Burns in 1790, then a journeyman saddler, who had moved to London. William was Robert Burns's younger brother. Shortly after his visit and before he could make a second William had died. Murdoch helped with the funeral arrangements, attended it as the principal mourner and sent Robert details of this sad occasion, a communication which proved to be his last with his old pupil.

Regarding their talents Murdoch wrote that "Gilbert always appeared to me to possess a more lively imagination, and to be more of a wit, than Robert. I attempted to teach them a little church-music. Here they were left far behind by all the rest of the school. Robert's ear, in particular, was remarkably dull, and his voice untunable. It was long before I could get them to distinguish one tune from another. Robert's countenance was generally grave and expressive of a serious, contemplative and thoughtful mind. Gilbert's face said, "Mirth with thee I mean to live"; and certainly if any person who knew the two boys had been asked which of them was most likely to court the Muses, he would surely never have guessed that Robert had a propensity of that kind".

It has been remarked that a number of features of John Murdoch's handwriting appear to feature in Robert Burns's early hand.

On 16 July 1790 Burns wrote to Murdoch regarding his brother William who lived in London. He stated that William would be pleased to meet a friend of his father's and he passed on details of his last address.

On 14 September 1790 he wrote to Burns recalling that his friend Mr Kennedy had informed him that William was ill and that he had set out as soon as he was free to visit him however upon arrival he discovered that William had died. He had contacted doctor friends, but their services were of no purpose as he had died from a putrid fever.