Scottish Authors > John Home Dramatist 1722-1808

Home was born on 21st September, 1722, in Leith, where his father was town clerk. While a student of divinity at Edinburgh University he was involved in the '45 Rebellion as a volunteer on the Government side. He was captured after the Battle of Falkirk and imprisoned in Doune Castle, but escaped. many years later he wrote The History of the rebellion in Scotland, 1745-6, published in 1802.

In 1746, he became Minister of Athelstaneford, enjoying the patronage of Sir David Kinloch of Gilmerton House. According to his friend, the writer Thomas Carlyle, he had "not much wit, and still less humour", but had "so much sprightliness and vivacity that he was truly irresistible".

By 1749, he had written his first play, Agis, which was rejected by Garrick of Drury Lane, who also turned down Home's next work, The Douglas, declaring it "totally unfit for the stage". However, it was performed in Edinburgh in December, 1756, and took the place by storm, provoking the memorable audience cry: "Whaur's your Wullie Shakespeare noo?"

The Douglas was staged at Covent Garden in 1757 to great acclaim, but in June of that year, Home was forced to resign his parish, in order to prevent prosecution by the Presbytery who were outraged by his theatrical connections. His farewell sermon drew tears from his congregation. He went to London where he became private secretary to the Earl of Bute and in 1760 was awarded an annual pension from the Crown.

Meanwhile, The Douglas became an established success, though its greatest triumphs came in later years when Mrs Siddons played the role of Lady Randolph, declaiming pitifully to the young Douglas:

The love of thee, before thou saw'st the light

Sustain'd my life when thy brave father fell,

If thou shalt fall, I have not love not hope

In this waste world! My son, remember me!

Though not often revived after the mid nineteenth century, this play is still of considerable interest to students of dramatic and theatrical history.

Home produced six tragedies in all, though none of the others achieved the success of The Douglas. The Siege of Aquileia was performed at Drury Lane in 1760, but had only a short run. The Fatal discovery staged in 1769, lasted only a fortnight. In 1773, his tragedy of Alonzo was performed at Drury Lane and proved a popular success, but Alfred, produced in 1778 and undoubtedly his weakest production, was a decided failure.

In 1767, Home had taken a lease on a farm at Kilduff in Athelstaneford, where he built a handsome villa. His declining years were spent in Edinburgh, and he died in Merchiston on 5th September, 1808. He was buried in South Leith churchyard where there is a memorial tablet erected by his nephew, John Home W.S. A memorial pedestal surmounted by a bust of Home was erected in Haddington by public subscription in 1867 and now stands inside the church at Athelstaneford.

Veronica Wallace

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