William Topaz Mcgonagall

‘Twas on the 9th of September, a very beautiful day, That a numerous English army came in grand array, And pitched their tents on Flodden field so green In the year of our Lord

Fellow Citizens of Dundee. I now must bid farewell to ye. For I am going to London far away. But when I will return again I cannot say. Farewell! Farewell! to the bonnie banks

Good people of high and low degree, I pray ye all be advised by me, And don’t believe what the clergy doth say, That by going to the theatre you will be led astray.

As I stood upon the sandy beach One morn near Pentland Ferry, I saw a beautiful brigantine, And all her crew seem’d merry. When lo! the wind began to howl, And the clouds began

‘Twas in the year of 1898, and on the 8th of June, A mother and six children met with a cruel doom In one of the most fearful fires for some years past And

Welcome! thrice welcome! to the year 1893, For it is the year I intend to leave Dundee, Owing to the treatment I receive, Which does my heart sadly grieve. Every morning when I go

Beautiful Ancient City of Perth, One of the grandest on the earth, With your stately mansions and streets so clean, And situated between two Inches green, Which are most magnificent to be seen The

‘Twas at the disastrous battle of Maiwand, in Afghanistan, Where the Berkshires were massacred to the last man; On the morning of July the 27th, in the year eighteen eighty, Which I’m sorry to

Richard Pigott, the forger, was a very bad man, And to gainsay it there’s nobody can, Because for fifty years he pursued a career of deceit, And as a forger few men with him

All ye good people, afar and near, To my request pray lend an ear; I advise you all without delay to go And see the Fair Maid’s House – it is a rare show.

Alas! the people’s hearts are now full of sorrow For the deceased Professor Blackie, of Edinboro’; Because he was a Christian man, affable and kind, And his equal in charitable actions would be hard

Beautiful Hill o’ Balgay, With your green frees and flowers fair, ‘Tis health for the old and young For to be walking there, To breathe the fragrant air Emanating from the green bushes And

‘Twas on the 26th of August, the sun was burning hot, In the year of 1346, which will never be forgot, Because the famous field of Cressy was slippery and gory, By the loss

Ye lovers of the picturesque, away, away! To beautiful Comrie and have a holiday; Aud bask in the sunahine and inhale the fragrant air Emanating from the woodlands and shrubberies there. The charming village

About a hundred and fifty years ago, History relates it happened so, A big ship sailed from the shores of Britain Bound for India across the raging main. And many of the passengers did

Beautiful Moon, with thy silvery light, Thou seemest most charming to my sight; As I gaze upon thee in the sky so high, A tear of joy does moisten mine eye. Beautiful Moon, with

Beautiful town of Montrose, I will now commence my lay, And I will write in praise of thee without dismay, And in spite of all your foes, L will venture to call thee Bonnie

Beautiful Rothesay, your scenery is most grand, You cannot be surpassed in fair Scotland. Tis healthy for holiday makers, to go there, For the benefit of their health, by inhaling the pure air And

Edward Teach was a native of Bristol, and sailed from that port On board a privateer, in search of sport, As one of the crew, during the French War in that station, And for

Twas in the year of 1842 and on the 27th of May That six Companies of the 91st Regiment with spirits light and gay, And forming the Second Battalion, left Naas without delay, Commanded

Success to the Newport Railway, Along the braes of the Silvery Tay, And to Dundee straghtway, Across the Railway Bridge o’ the Silvery Tay, Which was opened on the 12th of May, In the

‘Twas in the year of 1884, and on Saturday the 20th of September, Which the inhabitants of Dundee will long remember The great Liberal Franchise Demonstration, Which filled their minds with admiration. Oh! it

Ither laddies may ha’s finer claes, and may be better fed, But nane o’ them a’has sic a bonnie curly heid, O sie a blythe blink in their e’e, As my ain curly fair-hair’d

‘Twas in the year of 1746, on a fine summer afternoon, When trees and flowers were in full bloom, That widow Riddel sat knitting stockings on a little rustic seat, Which her only son

Alas! Sir John Ogilvy is dead, aged eighty-seven, But I hope his soul is now in heaven; For he was a generous-hearted gentleman I am sure, And, in particular, very kind unto the poor.

King Robert the Bruce’s deadly enemy, John of Lorn, Joined the English with eight hundred Highlanders one morn, All strong, hardy, and active fearless mountaineers, But Bruce’s men attacked them with swords and spears.

Alas! now o’er the civilised world there hangs a gloom For brave General Gordon, that was killed in Khartoum, He was a Christian hero, and a soldier of the Cross, And to England his

On the Gilfillan burial day, In the Hill o’ Balgay, It was a most solemn sight to see, Not fewer than thirty thousand people assembled in Dundee, All watching the funeral procession of Gilfillan

Alas! England now mourns for her poet that’s gone- The late and the good Lord Tennyson. I hope his soul has fled to heaven above, Where there is everlasting joy and love. He was

Ye sons of Germany, your noble Emperor William now is dead. Who oft great armies to battle hath led; He was a man beloved by his subjects all, Because he never tried them to

Beautiful Balmoral Castle, Most handsome to be seen, Highland home of the Empress of India, Great Britain’s Queen. Your woods and waters and Mountains high are most Beautiful to see, Near by Balmoral Castle

In an immense wood in the south of Kent, There lived a band of robbers which caused the people discontent; And the place they infested was called the Weald, Where they robbed wayside travellers

‘Twas in the year of 1888, and on July the 14th day, That an alarming accident occurred in the River Tay. Which resulted in the sinking of the Tay Ferries’ Steamer “Dundee,” Which was

Good people of high and low degree, I pray ye all to list to me, And I’ll relate a terrible tale of the sea Concerning the unfortunate steamer, Mohegan, That against the Manacles Rocks,

‘Twas in the United States of America some years ago An aged father sat at his fireside with his heart full of woe, And talking to his neighbour, Mr Allan, about his boy Bennie

Smiths Buildings No. 19 Patons Lane, Dundee. Sept the 6th. 1877. Most August! Empress of India, and of great Britain the Queen, I most humbly beg your pardon, hoping you will not think it

Bonnie Mary, the Maid o’ the Tay, Come! Let’s go, and have a holiday In Newport, on the braes o’ the silvery Tay, ‘Twill help to drive dull care away. The scenery there is

Jack Honest was only eight years of age when his father died, And by the death of his father, Mrs Honest was sorely tried; And Jack was his father’s only joy and pride, And

North Berwick is a watering-place with golfing links green, With a fine bathing beach most lovely to be seen; And there’s a large number of handsome villas also, And often it’s called the Scarborough

‘Twas in the year of 1897, and on the 22nd of June, Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee in London caused a great boom; Because high and low came from afar to see, The grand celebrations

‘Twas in the year of 1866, and on a very beautiful day, That eighty-two passengers, with spirits light and gay, Left Gravesend harbour, and sailed gaily away On board the steamship “London,” Bound for

‘Twas in the town of Sunderland, and in the year of 1883, That about 200 children were launch’d into eternity While witnessing an entertainment in Victoria Hall, While they, poor little innocents, to God

Beautiful Den o’ Fowlis, most charming to be seen In the summer season, when your trees are green; Especially in the bright and clear month of June, When your flowere and shrubberies are in

A sad tale of the sea, I will unfold, About Mrs Lingard, that Heroine bold; Who struggled hard in the midst of the hurricane wild, To save herself from being drowned, and her darling

Success to Mr J. Graham Henderson, who is a good man, And to gainsay it there’s few people can, I say so from my own experience, And experience is a great defence. He is

‘Twas in the year of 1886, and on the 29th of November, Which the surviving crew of the “Samuel Crawford” will long remember, She was bound to Baltimore with a cargo of pine lumber;

Chorus Bonnie Helen, will you go to Callander with me And gaze upon its beauties and romantic scenery Dear Helen, it will help to drive all sorrow away; Therefore come, sweet Helen, and let’s

On one occasion King James the Fifth of Scotland, when alone, in disguise, Near by the Bridge of Cramond met with rather a disagreeable surprise. He was attacked by five gipsy men without uttering

Oh, thou demon Drink, thou fell destroyer; Thou curse of society, and its greatest annoyer. What hast thou done to society, let me think? I answer thou hast caused the most of ills, thou

There lived in Munich a poor, weakly youth, But for the exact date, I cannot vouch for the truth, And of seven of a family he was the elder, Who was named, by his