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(Image reproduced with the kind permission of The Buchan Heritage Society)
Peter Milne (pronounced "Mill") was the son of Andrew Milne, a tailor, and Elspet Milne (née Cromar). His parents were married on 3 December 1820 in the parish of Aboyne (OPR 1820/170/2). Peter was born on 30 September 1824 in the village of Kincardine O'Neil (OPR 1824/209/2). He is said to have gone to Tarland in his early childhood (Henderson, 1935:viii), and in his youth was a herd boy (Carnie, 1902:320).
Milne earned the nickname of "The Tarland Minstrel" for his fiddle playing but, although he is associated most strongly with Tarland, he was in fact an itinerant fiddler who lived in a number of different places. The 1881 census for Midlothian, for instance, lists Peter Milne as a teacher of music living at 13 Hill Place, Edinburgh, in the parish of St Cuthberts, along with his wife, Isabella Milne, aged 44 and born in Aberdeen, Ogilvie Milne aged 21 born Aberdeen (comb maker), Rebecca aged 23 born Manchester (bookfolder), Andrew, 18, born Aberdeen (comb maker), Jane, 13, born Edinburgh, Alexander, 11, born Edinburgh, Fanny, 2, born Edinburgh and Edward Rolfe, 1, born Edinburgh (census record 1881/685/5/16, p. 16). The birth of Rebecca in Manchester reflects the time that Peter spent there working as a musician. About three years after the census, Isabella Milne died in Edinburgh of epilepsy (death record 1884/685/4/1102), her home then being 3 Catherine Street, and in 1891, Peter Milne is recorded as staying at Victoria Lodge House in St Nicholas Parish, Aberdeen (census record 1891/168/1/003, p. 28).
Although the playing of itinerant fiddlers was often described as unpolished, Milne's playing was held in very high esteem. William Carnie (1902:320) described Milne as "perhaps the very best interpreter of Highland Strathspey and reel Deeside could ever boast till the after days of the vastly popular Scott Skinner". Milne took part in some high profile musical events, such as the concert of national music he gave along with the blind pianist from Aberdeen, Willie Grant (Carnie, 1902:320). In addition, he led orchestras at the Gaiety and Prince's Theatres in Edinburgh as well as at M'Gork's Theatre in Leith (Alburger, 1996:173), and received a silver medal from Queen Victoria for his "pathetic rendering of 'Auld Robin Gray' at Balmoral" (Honeyman, 1984:25). Milne loved playing the fiddle and is reputed to have said that he was "that fond o' ma fiddle I could sit in the inside o't an look oot". (Skinner, 1994:7)
Milne's life was dogged by misfortune, however. He is said
to have become an opium addict after taking the drug initially as a cure for
rheumatism whilst working in Manchester (Henderson,
1935:viii). Later on in his life, he became an invalid when someone pulled
a chair from below him causing him to fall, according to Skinner, and spent the
last ten years of his life in a hospital in Aberdeen (Skinner, 1994:7). Peter Milne died on 11 March
1908 at Aberdeen Poorhouse, Oldmill, Newhills aged 83. His usual place of
residence was given as 4 Exchequer Court, Aberdeen (death record 1908/226/61).
The monument to Milne in Tarland Square, which was erected in 1932 with the
proceeds of a collection instigated by Mr Innes, Tarland, who had been a pupil
of Milne's (Henderson, 1935:viii), has the
inscription:
| Riches denied, thy boon was purer joys, |
| What wealth could never give nor take away. |
Find out more about Milne: Publications - Connections with Skinner and playing on ferries
About the author - Acknowledgements - Bibliography - Celtic and Scottish Studies homepage - Conclusion - Homepage - Tarland homepage
Published by the Department of Celtic and Scottish Studies, University of Edinburgh
© University of Edinburgh 2001
Last modified Wednesday, 26-Aug-2009 13:33:16 BST by Katherine Campbell