Crochallan Fencibles

The Crochallan Fencibles was an 18th-century Edinburgh convivial club that met at the Anchor Close, a public house off the High Street (part of the Royal Mile).[1]

Merry Muses of Caledonia 1799 from The G Ross Roy Collection

Its name was made up from two sources: Crochallan is derived from a song, "Crodh Chailein'" ("Colin's Cattle"), which was a favourite of the then Landlord Daniel Douglas, and Fencibles was a name for regiments of garrison troops which were raised for the defence of Great Britain (an 18th-century Home Guard).[1]

William Smellie, the editor of the first edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, was the founder of the club.[1] He reminisced that:

I wrote most of it, my lad, and snipped out from books enough material for the printer. With pastepot and scissors I composed it!

— William Smellie, at a meeting of the Crochallan Fencibles.[2]

The members of the club use military ranks to designate their positions in the club (as if it were a real fencible regiment), hence William Dunbar (died 1807) was the colonel of the club (rather than its chairman or president).[1][3]

Smellie introduced Robert Burns to the club in 1787. Burns compiled a book of popular songs for the club called The Merry Muses of Caledonia in which he writes of Smellie:[4]

And, though his caustic wit was biting rude,
His heart was warm, benevolent, and good.