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:
- OLYMPIAN LYRICAL CONTEST
- OLD PAISLEY WORTHIES
- THE BONNIE BANKS O’ CART
- THE MAVIE IN THE CROFT
- AULD SEESTU TOON
- YE MAUN AYE KEEP MOVING ON
- “PAST ELEVEN”
- HALLOWE’EN
- ALEXANDER WILSON LODGE OF ODDFELLOWS DIAMOND JUBILEE
- AULD SEESTU’S CLIQUE
- UNDERWOOD WEAVING MILL SOIREE, 1901
- LINES TO A FREEN’ ACROSS THE SEA.
- “YOU’VE SLEEPIT IN!”
- A BIT ADVICE TO WIVES AN’ MEN
- PAISLEY BURGH CLEANSING BRIGADE
- BOYS’ BRIGADE INSPECTION AT FERGUSLIE PARK
- PAISLEY FAIR SATURDAY – DOON THE WATER
- AFTER THE FAIR
- OOR TAM
- THE AULD “WAGGITY-WA”
- PAISLEY POETS
- THE PAISLEY WEAVER
- SPRING
- SUMMER
- AUTUMN
- WINTER
- IT’S WINTER AGAIN
- APRIL SHOWERS
- MARCH DUST
- ANOTHER YEAR
- YESTERDAY
- A TEETOTAL SPEECH
- SUNDAY DRINKING
- A TEMPERANCE DEBATE
- THE TALLAMAN
- THE CHARMS OF TOBACCO
- ’MANG THE GENTRY AT AYR
- AT THE HARBOUR O’ AYR
- NEVER PLEASED
- SANTA CLAUS
- "NEVER GEE YOUR BEAVER"
- CORONATION VERSE
- MY UNDERWOOD LASS
- ROTHESAY BAY
- THE FALL OF KING COTTON
- DOONFIT
- THE FALL OF THE LEAF
RELIGIOUS POEMS
- THE DEAR AULD BOOK
- WHEN OOR ACCOUNTS ARE SQUARE
- THE SABBATH BELLS
- BEYOND THE GOWDEN STAIR
- ALL IS VANITY
- DISCONTENTMENT
- GOD’S ALL-SEEING EYE
- MUSINGS BY THE SEASIDE
- IN MEMORIAM
- IN MEMORIAM OF OUR BELOVED QUEEN
- CHRISTMAS BELLS
- NEW YEAR’S DAY, 1902
- LIFE IS BUT A GAME
- NEVER
- GOD’S LOVE TO MAN
- COME
- THE NARROW WAY
- HOMEWARD BOUND
- THE LORD’S MY SHEPHERD
- SEEKERS AFTER TRUTH
PAISLEY POLITICS
- PAISLEY BURGH ELECTION, 1895
- ON THE EVE OF THE PARLIAMENT DISSOLVING
- PAISLEY BURGH ELECTION, 1900
- SEESTU’S SYMPATHY FOR AULD SAINT MUNGO
- PAROCHIAL BOARD VERSUS PARISH COUNCIL
- NEW CANDIDATES FOR TOON COUNCIL
POEMS OF THE BOER WAR
- PULLING KRUGER DOWN
- TO GALLANT TOMMY ATKINS
- TOMMY ATKIN’S ALPHABET
- MODDER RIVER
- THE FALL OF PRETORIA
- JAGERSFONTEIN
- TO AN UNPATRIOTIC SOUL
- OUR GALLANT HOME DEFENDERS
- WELCOME HOME
- OUR GALLANT MILITIA BOYS
- ALL’S WELL
- ENIGMAS AND PUZZLES
The poems of Robert Pender, published 1904
Download all the Poems as a single PDF