David Sillar

David Sillar
David Sillar's gravestone in Irvine
Born	1760 Spittalside, Tarbolton, Scotland
Died	2 May 1830 Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland
Occupation	Farmer, teacher, poet, grocer, and, baillie

David Sillar (1760–1830), farmer, poet, grocer, schoolteacher and baillie was a close friend of the poet Robert Burns. He died in 1830, aged 70 after a long illness, and was buried in Irvine's Old Parish Church cemetery. His eroded gravestone was replaced by a facsimile thanks to the Irvine Burns Club. He married twice and had only one son survive him, a Dr Zachary Sillar M.D. of Liverpool. His father was Patrick Sillar, tenant farmer at Spittalside near Tarbolton, Ayrshire. He first married a widow, Mrs Margaret Kerr, née Gemmell shortly after moving to Irvine and had seven children and his second wife was the sister of John Bryan of the Sun Inn, Kilmarnock.

David was the third son of four, his father being Patrick Sillar, farmer at Spittalside (NS 425 277) near Tarbolton, close to the Burns family farm at Lochlea.

David was self-taught, however he still managed to be appointed as a temporary teacher at Tarbolton, the permanent position however went to one John Wilson of Death and Doctor Hornbrook fame. Wilson had taught at Craigie. Sillars response was to establish an 'adventure school', unsuccessfully, at Commonside (NS 415 244), which lies between Annbank and Tarbolton. After this setback Sillar moved to Irvine in 1783 where he established himself as a grocer under the old Irvine Tolbooth and after bankruptcy in 1791 spent a short spell actually in the Tolbooth, the debtors jail. It is recorded that he wrote to one of his two elder and successful businessmen brothers to ask for a loan of the £5 he needed to keep out of debtor's jail, but was denied. This incident had a lasting effect on him, despite the wealth he later acquired.

He had once again tried his hand in 1784 as a teacher in Irvine, setting up a school of navigation in East Back Road, with however the same result as before. Makinson however records that this navigation school was very successful, providing him with an income of around £100 per annum, Irvine being a busy port at the time. In 1797 he unsuccessfully applied for a job as a teacher of English in Irvine.

David recorded his move to Irvine in rhyme :-

:"It is twa years an' something mair
:Sin I left Kyle i' this same shire,
:And cam tae trade, an' think an' fare
:Like other men,
:Side Irvine's banks and country fair
:O' Cunningham".