John Crerar (gamekeeper)
John Crerar | |
|---|---|
 John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl and his game keeper John Crerar (Edwin Henry Landseer) | |
| Born | 29 May 1749 |
| Died | 1 March 1840 |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Occupation | Gamekeeper |
| Known for | Gamekeeper to the Duke of Atholl Composer |
John Crerar was the gamekeeper to the Duke of Atholl. He entered the service of the Duke in 1776, succeeding his father, Alexander Crerar,[1] and remained an employee for more than sixty years.[2] He is pictured in several paintings by Edwin Landseer, including The Death of a Stag at Glen Tilt and The Keeper John Crerar with his Pony.
He was an accomplished fiddler and composer and was a contemporary and pupil of Niel Gow, and his composition The Marquis of Tullibardine is still popular today.[3][4]
He is alleged to have landed a 72 lb Salmon at Ferryhaugh, north of Dunkeld, 8 lbs heavier than the official record.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ Wilson, James (1841), The Rod and the Gun, Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black
- ^ Scrope, William (1839), The Art of Deer Stalking, London: John Murray, retrieved 12 October 2010
- ^ "Fiddling with the bill at Niel Gow", The Scotsman, 18 March 2009, retrieved 12 October 2010
- ^ "Inver and Other Wielders of the Bow", Visit Dunkeld, retrieved 12 October 2010
- ^ "What a Whopper", Scotland on Sunday, 5 January 2008, retrieved 12 October 2010