John MacDougall Gillies First President 1920 -1925
By the time of the 1881 census John MacDougall Gillies was a master painter employing two men and two boys. Later that year Gillies was married to Margaret Grieve Low and their daughter Isabella was born in 1884. In 1882 Gillies won the Prize Pipe at the Northern Meeting, then in 1885 he won the Gold Medal for Former Winners and in 1896 he won the Clasp. At the Argyllshire Gathering he won the Gold Medal in 1884, the March in 1889 and in 1901 tied with John MacColl for the Open Piobaireachd.
In about 1886 Gillies went to Taymouth Castle as piper to the Earl of Breadalbane, replacing Duncan MacDougall who was retiring at that time. Taymouth had been a centre of piping for some time, with many famous pipers employed there over the years. Gillies stayed there for two years until a supposed incident when Lady Breadalbane came home after having lost a large amount of money at cards. Starting an economy drive, she ordered all the pipers who were doing nothing but playing pipes, to sweep the drive. Gillies was so insulted that he immediately packed his bags and left. He returned to his trade of house painter and was living at 16 Hutcheon Street, Aberdeen where his wife died on the 26th January 1890 aged only 31. After this their daughter Isabella went to live with John's parents and John moved to Glasgow, where his friend and tutor Alick Cameron was living. Sharing the same lodgings as Cameron, he continued in his trade as a house painter.
Soon after his arrival in Glasgow Gillies joined the 1st Volunteer Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry and was appointed Pipe Major of the Battalion in 1892 or 1893. PM Gillies led the band to win the first World Pipe Band Championship at Cowal in 1906. Following the Haldane Reforms in 1908 the band became the 5th Battalion Highland Light Infantry (Territorial Force), and Gillies led them to further World Championship wins in 1908, 1910, 1911 and 1912. At the start of the First World War he was transferred to the 9th Scottish Provisional Battalion and served on home stations until discharged as unfit for service in July 1915.
On 11th September 1891 Gillies was married for the second time, at Clutha Villa, Cardross, Dunbartonshire to Maggie McCulloch. He was then aged 36, a widower, a house painter journeyman. The couple moved to Willowbank Crescent, just off Woodlands Road, Glasgow, where their son Alastair was born on the 3rd July. His daughter Isabella came to live with them and a second son, Ian MacDougall was born on the 9th June 1904 also at Willowbank Crescent. John was still a house painter journeyman at this time.
In about 1903 Gillies became the manager of Peter Henderson's, possibly on the recommendation of Alick Cameron who had tested chanters for Henderson and had since then become piper to Cameron of Lochiel. Gillies was employed at Henderson's for 22 years until his death in December 1925.
Henderson's shop became the centre of piping in Glasgow, many of the top pipers coming to the shop for tuition from Gillies. In the four years before the First World War and the four years afterwards his pupils won eight out of the sixteen Gold Medals awarded at the Northern Meeting and Argyllshire Gathering.
In about 1886 Gillies went to Taymouth Castle as piper to the Earl of Breadalbane, replacing Duncan MacDougall who was retiring at that time. Taymouth had been a centre of piping for some time, with many famous pipers employed there over the years. Gillies stayed there for two years until a supposed incident when Lady Breadalbane came home after having lost a large amount of money at cards. Starting an economy drive, she ordered all the pipers who were doing nothing but playing pipes, to sweep the drive. Gillies was so insulted that he immediately packed his bags and left. He returned to his trade of house painter and was living at 16 Hutcheon Street, Aberdeen where his wife died on the 26th January 1890 aged only 31. After this their daughter Isabella went to live with John's parents and John moved to Glasgow, where his friend and tutor Alick Cameron was living. Sharing the same lodgings as Cameron, he continued in his trade as a house painter.
Soon after his arrival in Glasgow Gillies joined the 1st Volunteer Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry and was appointed Pipe Major of the Battalion in 1892 or 1893. PM Gillies led the band to win the first World Pipe Band Championship at Cowal in 1906. Following the Haldane Reforms in 1908 the band became the 5th Battalion Highland Light Infantry (Territorial Force), and Gillies led them to further World Championship wins in 1908, 1910, 1911 and 1912. At the start of the First World War he was transferred to the 9th Scottish Provisional Battalion and served on home stations until discharged as unfit for service in July 1915.
On 11th September 1891 Gillies was married for the second time, at Clutha Villa, Cardross, Dunbartonshire to Maggie McCulloch. He was then aged 36, a widower, a house painter journeyman. The couple moved to Willowbank Crescent, just off Woodlands Road, Glasgow, where their son Alastair was born on the 3rd July. His daughter Isabella came to live with them and a second son, Ian MacDougall was born on the 9th June 1904 also at Willowbank Crescent. John was still a house painter journeyman at this time.
In about 1903 Gillies became the manager of Peter Henderson's, possibly on the recommendation of Alick Cameron who had tested chanters for Henderson and had since then become piper to Cameron of Lochiel. Gillies was employed at Henderson's for 22 years until his death in December 1925.
Henderson's shop became the centre of piping in Glasgow, many of the top pipers coming to the shop for tuition from Gillies. In the four years before the First World War and the four years afterwards his pupils won eight out of the sixteen Gold Medals awarded at the Northern Meeting and Argyllshire Gathering.
John MacDougall Gillies 1855-1925
John MacDougall Gillies was born in Aberdeen on the 20th May 1855, the son of John Gillies, a granite worker, and his wife Isabella Smith. John senior was born at Kilmodan in Argyll on 12 October 1825, the son of Alexander Gillies and Mary MacDougall so the family had roots in Argyll.
John MacDougall Gillies had his first piping tuition at an early age from PM Alexander Fettes of the Volunteers and also had tuition from William Murray Pipe Major of the 78th Highlanders, who in 1866 was appointed Professor of Piping at the Army Depot in Aberdeen. Gillies enrolled in the 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion Gordon Highlanders at Aberdeen in 1872 as a piper under his first tutor PM Fettes, who composed the march Glendaruel Highlanders for the Gillies family. John attended the Northern Meeting in 1870 and heard Alexander Cameron (1848-1923) first prize winner in 1867 and son of Donald Cameron, piper to the Earl of Seaforth, win the Gold Medal for Former Winners. Many years later he told Archibald Campbell of Kilberry that he never heard anything finer than Alick Cameron's tune on that occasion; My King has Landed in Moidart. Gillies had most of his tuition in piobaireachd from Alexander Cameron, who was then piper to the Marquis of Huntly.
John MacDougall Gillies was born in Aberdeen on the 20th May 1855, the son of John Gillies, a granite worker, and his wife Isabella Smith. John senior was born at Kilmodan in Argyll on 12 October 1825, the son of Alexander Gillies and Mary MacDougall so the family had roots in Argyll.
John MacDougall Gillies had his first piping tuition at an early age from PM Alexander Fettes of the Volunteers and also had tuition from William Murray Pipe Major of the 78th Highlanders, who in 1866 was appointed Professor of Piping at the Army Depot in Aberdeen. Gillies enrolled in the 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion Gordon Highlanders at Aberdeen in 1872 as a piper under his first tutor PM Fettes, who composed the march Glendaruel Highlanders for the Gillies family. John attended the Northern Meeting in 1870 and heard Alexander Cameron (1848-1923) first prize winner in 1867 and son of Donald Cameron, piper to the Earl of Seaforth, win the Gold Medal for Former Winners. Many years later he told Archibald Campbell of Kilberry that he never heard anything finer than Alick Cameron's tune on that occasion; My King has Landed in Moidart. Gillies had most of his tuition in piobaireachd from Alexander Cameron, who was then piper to the Marquis of Huntly.
By 1914 Gillies had moved the short distance from Willowbank Crescent, to 409 Great Western Road, Kelvinbridge, where he lived with his wife and sons Alastair and Ian. The tenement is still there and the flat where the Gillies family lived is now above a Chinese restaurant and takeaway. After Gillies died his wife and son Ian continued to live at the same address until 1931.
One of his pupils, Dr. Colin Caird, described Gillies as a little meek old gentleman with a little pointed beard, very quiet. He came into the room where the pupil was waiting, said 'Good Afternoon' and solemnly laid a chanter down in the middle of the table. And there the chanter stayed, he never played it but it was a symbol of office and after the lesson he picked it up and went out with it. Gillies did all his teaching by means of his own canntaireachd.
In 1908 Henderson's moved to 24 Renfrew Street. It was there in 1920 that the Scottish Pipers' Association was formed by Gillies and eleven others, with Gillies becoming the first President. The Association's MacDougall Gillies Trophy, the top amateur piobaireachd prize for many years, is the figure of Gillies himself, playing the bagpipe.
Gillies had been the Honorary Pipe Major and tutor at the Glasgow Highland Club since 1897 and in December 1925 at their Club meeting had given an unforgettable rendering of the Lament for the Only Son. He died suddenly at his home two days later on the 17th December 1925 from a stroke. His funeral procession was photographed crossing Kelvinbridge.
One of his pupils, Dr. Colin Caird, described Gillies as a little meek old gentleman with a little pointed beard, very quiet. He came into the room where the pupil was waiting, said 'Good Afternoon' and solemnly laid a chanter down in the middle of the table. And there the chanter stayed, he never played it but it was a symbol of office and after the lesson he picked it up and went out with it. Gillies did all his teaching by means of his own canntaireachd.
In 1908 Henderson's moved to 24 Renfrew Street. It was there in 1920 that the Scottish Pipers' Association was formed by Gillies and eleven others, with Gillies becoming the first President. The Association's MacDougall Gillies Trophy, the top amateur piobaireachd prize for many years, is the figure of Gillies himself, playing the bagpipe.
Gillies had been the Honorary Pipe Major and tutor at the Glasgow Highland Club since 1897 and in December 1925 at their Club meeting had given an unforgettable rendering of the Lament for the Only Son. He died suddenly at his home two days later on the 17th December 1925 from a stroke. His funeral procession was photographed crossing Kelvinbridge.
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