John Galt writes fondly of his early years in Irvine before moving to Greenock in 1789 when he was 10 years old. A sickly child, he was often at home with his mother and heard stories told by the women she met with around Irvine. One particular person he remembered hearing about was Bryce Gilliland (1769-1805). Galt writes in his autobiography: -
"This infirm state led me not only to avoid the hearty exercises of other boys, but to seek indoor amusement that was, had it been observed, remarkable in one so young. I remember that there were a number of old women who lived in the close behind my grandmother's house, and in their society to hear their tales and legends I was a frequent visitor. One of them was the mother of Lieutenant Gueliland, who was flag-officer to Lord Nelson, and killed at the battle of Trafalgar. He was older than me, and I do not recollect him very well, but he was a brave and intelligent officer; his townsmen have erected a monument to his memory in the church, and I have the gratification to record that I obtained for his only sister a munificent donation from the Patriotic Fund formed during the war at Lloyd's."
There is a monument to Lieutenant Gilliland in Irvine Old Parish Church which reads: -
“To the memory of Bryce Gulliland. Late first Lieutenant of His Majesty’s Ship Royal Sovereign. A native of Irvine, who after receiving his education there as a seaman, was impressed and from his own merit, advanced to that distinguished station, and in the 36th year of his age, was killed in the memorable Battle of Trafalgar upon the 21st day of October 1805. He fell at his post in his Country’s Cause and with Nelson. This monument as a Tribute of respect is erected by his Townsmen.”
It is likely that Bryce Gilliland he went to sea, as many Irvine men did. It is recorded that he was later press-ganged into service with the Royal Navy. His naval career seemed to have started as an Able Seaman on HMS Diana in 1794 and proceeded with service on many navy ships such as HMS Standard. He was Quartermaster on HMS Northumberland and rose to the rank of Midshipman and Master's Mate. In 1801 he served aboard Nelson's flagship HMS Foudroyant. He saw service in the Egyptian Campaign becoming a Lieutenant and serving on HMS Druid. (This information was obtained from a fabulous website "TrafalgarAncestors" at the National Archive.)
Ironically, Between 1801 and 1802 Gilliland was part of the impress service based at the Strong Man pub in Lower East Smithfield, London, recruiting for the Royal Navy ship HMS Determinee. Thereafter he was transferred to HMS Dreadnaught where he came to the attention of Admiral Collingwood.
Admiral Collingwood
He must have made a good impression on the Admiral because
on 9 October, Collingwood wrote to Lord Nelson that he wished to take his Signal
Lieutenant, Bryce Gilliland with him from the Dreadnaught to the Royal
Sovereign.
On 21 October 1805 Bryce Gilliland, aged 36 was killed on
board the Royal Sovereign during her heroic struggles in the Battle of Trafalgar.
As John Galt points out in his Autobiography (Chapter 10), quoted above, Lloyds did, on 28 July 1803, set up a Patriotic Fund "to assist the many casualties of the Napoleonic Wars". It is still in existence, working with armed forces charities providing help to those in need.
Perhaps John Galt was remembering the old stories he heard told by Bryce Gilliland's mother when he wrote the following passage in his 1821 novel Annals of the Parish. The passage refers to a young man from the locality, Charles Malcolm and is told by the narrator of the book, the Rev Micah Balwhidder:-
“I had, in the meantime, written a letter to the Lord Eaglesham, to get Charles Malcolm out of the clutches of the pressgang in the man-of-war; and about a month after, his lordship sent me an answer, wherein was enclosed a letter from the captain of the ship, saying that Charles Malcolm was so good a man that he was reluctant to part with him, and that Charles himself was well contented to remain aboard. Anent which, his lordship said to me, that he had written back to the captain to make a midshipman of Charles, and that he would take him under his own protection, which was great joy on two accounts to us all, especially to his mother; first, to hear that Charles was a good man, although in years still but a youth; and, secondly, that my lord had, of his own free will, taken him under the wing of his patronage.”
In the Annals of the Parish, Charles Malcolm rises through the ranks becoming Captain of his own ship but dies in action against the French.
John Galt was a master at weaving real life events into his work.
