Robert Burns and The Eglinton Estate - Robin Cummel (Campbell)

Robin Cummel (Campbell)

In his semi-fictional book, John Service writes that Robin or Robert Cammell (Campbell in English), was a native of Kilwinning, born around 1745 and dying at the age of 95 in 1840. Robin worked for many years at Eglinton Castle and his recollections of Robert Burns and his memories of the estate and district were published in book form under the title The Memorables of Robin Cummell. Robin records that he knew Burns well and regularly met him, Richard Brown, Keelivine (a lawyer), and Tammy Struggles (a nickname) at the Wheatsheaf Inn in Irvine High Street. The name 'Keelivine' means 'Lead pencil' in Lallans, an appropriate sobriquet for a lawyer's clerk.

Robin was in the group who had accompanied the 10th Earl of Eglinton on that fateful morning of 24 October 1769 when the earl was mortally wounded at Ardrossan by gauger Mungo Campbell. Robin wrote an eye witness account of the incident that still survives in the Memorables of Robin Cummell. Before he died, the earl gave Robin one of the sixth earl's pistols; this earl had the nickname 'Graysteel' in recognition of his great courage.