Biography:William Logan
William Logan
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| Given name: | William |
| Middle name: | |
| Family name: | Logan |
| Place of birth: | |
| Place of death: | Ayr, Scotland |
| Year of birth: | |
| Year of death: | |
| Profile: | Composer, Musician |
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Biographical notes
The following is from the Edinburgh Illustrated Edition of the Poems and Songs of Robert Burns:
Major William Logan was a retired military officer who lived a bachelor life with his mother and a maiden sister at his villa of Park, near Ayr.
As examples of his wit, Chambers records the following anecdotes. "The major was asked one day by an Ayr hostess if he would have
water to the glass of spirits he had called for, and his reply was--'Water, my good woman! I would rather ye took the water out of it.' A young
officer was talking geeky on religious subjects in his company, and wound up with 'In fact, I look on God as my feudal superior, and myself
as his tenant of vassal.'--'Yes,' quoth Logan, 'ye may feel say that, for I believe you would pay him feu-duties . The poor wit, in the end, was
the victim of some severe bodily ailments. The Rev. Mr. Cuthill, one of the Ayr ministers, called to see him, and remarked that it would require
much fortitude of bear up under his sufferings, 'Aye! sir,' said the dying punster, 'it would take fifthitude.'
Miss Susan Logan was his younger sister to whom Burns send a book of Beattie's Poems and some verses of his own, on January 1, 1787. Major Logan was a Masonic contemporary of Burns.
Chambers Edinburgh Journal of Sat., Feb. 23, 1833 (p. 31) gives:
In the last age there flourished in Ayrshire two gentlemen of the name of Logan, both of whom were remarkable for bon mots and eccentric sayings.
The elder of the two, Logan of Logan, near Cumnock, was a rude, ready-witted, and rather home-spun character; but the other, Major William Logan,
the son of a gentleman near Dalmellington, was a man of polish and address, possessing, for one accomplishment, an amazing gift of violin-playing,
and fitted to mingle--as he did--in the first circles of society.