Robert Pender - The Family Poet

It used to be said of Paisley in Victorian times, with any gathering of “Buddies” (The local term for a native of Paisley), if a call was put out "Is there a poet in the Hall" the gathering would rise to a man. Anyway Robert Pender would have risen with the rest. He was known among the Penders as 'Rab the poet'.

In 1904 he had a volume of his poems published, price 2/- (10 pence), probably by private subscription. While they don't quite rise to the level of Robert Burns’ expertise, they nevertheless give an indication of the quality of poetry that was on the go in Paisley in the latter half of the 19th century. The following are the poems published in his book:

  1. OLYMPIAN LYRICAL CONTEST
  2. OLD PAISLEY WORTHIES
  3. THE BONNIE BANKS O’  CART
  4. THE MAVIE IN THE CROFT
  5. AULD SEESTU TOON
  6. YE MAUN AYE KEEP MOVING ON
  7. “PAST ELEVEN”
  8. HALLOWE’EN
  9. ALEXANDER WILSON LODGE OF ODDFELLOWS DIAMOND JUBILEE
  10. AULD SEESTU’S CLIQUE
  11. UNDERWOOD WEAVING MILL SOIREE, 1901
  12. LINES TO A FREEN’ ACROSS THE SEA.
  13. “YOU’VE SLEEPIT IN!”
  14. A BIT ADVICE TO WIVES AN’ MEN
  15. PAISLEY BURGH CLEANSING BRIGADE
  16. BOYS’ BRIGADE INSPECTION AT FERGUSLIE PARK
  17. PAISLEY FAIR SATURDAY – DOON THE WATER
  18. AFTER THE FAIR
  19. OOR TAM
  20. THE AULD “WAGGITY-WA”
  21. PAISLEY POETS
  22. THE PAISLEY WEAVER
  23. SPRING
  24. SUMMER
  25. AUTUMN
  26. WINTER
  27. IT’S WINTER AGAIN
  28. APRIL SHOWERS
  29. MARCH DUST
  30. ANOTHER YEAR
  31. YESTERDAY
  32. A TEETOTAL SPEECH
  33. SUNDAY DRINKING
  34. A TEMPERANCE DEBATE
  35. THE TALLAMAN
  36. THE CHARMS OF TOBACCO
  37. ’MANG THE GENTRY AT AYR
  38. AT THE HARBOUR O’ AYR
  39. NEVER PLEASED
  40. SANTA CLAUS
  41. "NEVER GEE YOUR BEAVER"
  42. CORONATION VERSE
  43. MY UNDERWOOD LASS
  44. ROTHESAY BAY
  45. THE FALL OF KING COTTON
  46. DOONFIT
  47. THE FALL OF THE LEAF

RELIGIOUS POEMS

  1. THE DEAR AULD BOOK
  2. WHEN OOR ACCOUNTS ARE SQUARE
  3. THE SABBATH BELLS
  4. BEYOND THE GOWDEN STAIR
  5. ALL IS VANITY
  6. DISCONTENTMENT
  7. GOD’S ALL-SEEING EYE
  8. MUSINGS BY THE SEASIDE
  9. IN MEMORIAM
  10. IN MEMORIAM OF OUR BELOVED QUEEN
  11. CHRISTMAS BELLS
  12. NEW YEAR’S DAY, 1902
  13. LIFE IS BUT A GAME
  14. NEVER
  15. GOD’S LOVE TO MAN
  16. COME
  17. THE NARROW WAY
  18. HOMEWARD BOUND
  19. THE LORD’S MY SHEPHERD
  20. SEEKERS AFTER TRUTH

PAISLEY POLITICS

  1. PAISLEY BURGH ELECTION, 1895
  2. ON THE EVE OF THE PARLIAMENT DISSOLVING
  3. PAISLEY BURGH ELECTION, 1900
  4. SEESTU’S SYMPATHY FOR AULD SAINT MUNGO
  5. PAROCHIAL BOARD VERSUS PARISH COUNCIL
  6. NEW CANDIDATES FOR TOON COUNCIL

POEMS OF THE BOER WAR

  1. PULLING KRUGER DOWN
  2. TO GALLANT TOMMY ATKINS
  3. TOMMY ATKIN’S ALPHABET
  4. MODDER RIVER
  5. THE FALL OF PRETORIA
  6. JAGERSFONTEIN
  7. TO AN UNPATRIOTIC SOUL
  8. OUR GALLANT HOME DEFENDERS
  9. WELCOME HOME
  10. OUR GALLANT MILITIA BOYS
  11. ALL’S WELL
  12. ENIGMAS AND PUZZLES

The poems of Robert Pender, published 1904

 

Download all the Poems as a single PDF

See a Video of Burnett Pender reciting some of Robert Pender's Poetry / 27th April 2013 / 10:19 mins / MP4 format

See a Video of Burnett Pender reciting some of Robert Pender's Poetry / 27th April 2013 / 10:19 mins / OGV format

 

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Published on  December 9th, 2013   /   SITEMAP   /   CONTACT