As part of our monthly meetings, we like to discuss our favourite and stranger stories that have appeared in our publication, Windlesora. This month, an article from 2006, entitled ‘1830’, caused some discussion. It was about a famous travelling piper who had been seen widely across the country playing the “scotch pipes”, or more accurately, bagpipes.
We have found the newspaper report that generated the article. It is from 13 Feb 1830 in the Windsor & Eton Express. Certainly, by the description, it is the same “scotch-man”. You can see the full newspaper in our Express Archive at Burchett’s Green; an extract is presented here.
Interestingly, an earlier report from Nov 1829 about his time in Melton Mowbray indicated that he was writing a history of his tour, in a series of letters sent to a gentleman in Ireland. It also stated he devoted some considerable sums to charitable purposes.
In Oct 1929, in Leicester, it was reported he started his journey in July 1828 and would finish his tour in the autumn of 1830. On inquiring about his identity, he replied, “A wandering minstrel, scorn’d and poor, Who begs his bread from door to door.”
So far, we don’t know who he is. Will we find out his identity?
Windsor Local History Group 