Muckle Jock Milburn facts for kids

John Milburn (1754 – 1837), also known as Muckle Jock, was a famous musician from Northumberland, England. The name 'Muckle Jock' means 'Big Jock' in the old Northumbrian language. He was well-known for playing the Border pipes, a type of bagpipe.

His pipes are still around today! You can find them in the Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum, as part of the Cocks collection. His family used to call them the 'half-long' pipes. It's believed that Muckle Jock received these pipes around 1772 from Colonel Reid of Chipchase Castle, when he was only about 18 years old.

Muckle Jock's Special Pipes

Muckle Jock's pipes are very important because they were used as a model for new instruments. In the 1920s, when people wanted to bring back the Border pipes, a craftsman named James Robertson from Edinburgh made new pipes based on Muckle Jock's set.

However, the new pipes were a bit different. Muckle Jock's original pipes had one bass drone and two tenor drones (which play notes an octave higher). The new pipes made by Robertson had a bass drone, a baritone drone (a fifth higher), and a tenor drone (an octave higher). This shows how instruments can evolve over time!

A Strong Borderer

Dr. Edward Charlton, who knew Muckle Jock, described him as "one of the last of the old Borderers." He was known as a very strong and powerful man. Charlton wrote that Muckle Jock was famous for his strong voice and his ability to handle difficult situations at local gatherings.

He was remembered for leading groups of men from the Tarset and Tarretburn areas, using an old border cry: "Tarset and Tarretburn, Hard and heather-bred, YET-YET-YET!" This suggests that Muckle Jock might have originally come from the Upper North Tynedale area, closer to the Scottish border, rather than Bellingham itself.

Stories from the Border

Muckle Jock claimed to be a descendant of a Border Reiver named Barty of the Comb. Border Reivers were groups of people who lived near the border between England and Scotland long ago and often raided each other's lands.

Muckle Jock told a story about his ancestor in his own dialect, which was a mix of Northumbrian English and Scots. He said that his ancestor, along with two others, once crossed into Scotland to take sheep because Scottish thieves had raided their area. They took the sheep near Yetholm, but then three Scots came after them.

Muckle Jock's ancestor and his friends stood their ground. In the fight, one of their group was hurt, but they also managed to defeat one of the Scots. His ancestor then bravely fought the remaining two Scots, eventually making one run away. This allowed them to bring the sheep back to Tynedale. This story shows the tough life and strong spirit of the people living on the border back then.

Later Life and Legacy

Muckle Jock passed away in April 1837, near Bellingham. He was well-respected by many friends. He had worked as an auctioneer for 53 years, helping people buy and sell things. He was known for being very good at judging the value of farm animals.