James McKie was a Kilmarnock-based publisher and collector of Burns material who lived during the 19th century. He gathered a large collection of manuscripts, books, paintings and Burnsiana and was the main fundraiser for the Kilmarnock Burns Monument in Kay Park. His collection was displayed in the museum in the monument. It is now housed by East Ayrshire Council Arts and Museums Service.
Bibliographical details and images of a number of James McKie's books have been put on to FutureMuseum. They can be found here: The McKie Collection
James McKie was born on 7 October 1816, twenty years after Robert Burns' death. He was apprenticed as a book-binder to Hugh Crawford in 1828, at the age of eleven. Hugh Crawford had been apprenticed to John Wilson, the printer who had published the first collection of Robert Burns' poetry, and had later taken over the business when Wilson had moved to Ayr. McKie's apprenticeship lasted seven years, working most days from 6am to 8pm, during which time he learned bookbinding, printing and counter-work.
In 1835, he finished his apprenticeship, working in Elgin for six
months before gaining an appointment to manage a booksellers in
Saltcoats. In September 1839, he published the 'Ayrshire Inspirer',
a weekly periodical with contributions from local writers and
poets. He kept in contact with his Kilmarnock literary
acquaintances whilst living in Saltcoats, meeting them regularly on
Saturdays in a house on Market Lane. This group persuaded him to
start an annual based on the 'Ayrshire Inspirer' entitled the
'Ayrshire Wreath', which he published sporadically until 1855. On 8
March 1844 he married Agnes Jane Crawford, the widow of a Dr.
Drennan, with whom he had 3 surviving daughters.
In 1845, he took over the printing business of Hugh Crawford &
Son in Kilmarnock, becoming the direct business descendant of the
Kilmarnock Edition publisher, John Wilson. He continued to
publish and print a variety of pamphlets and books, including works
of poetry, a series of popular school textbooks, programmes for the
ordination of local clergy, a guidebook to Kelsall's Crystal Palace
exhibition, and Archibald MacKay's popular 'History of
Kilmarnock.' He established a branch in Dalry in 1847, which
he later sold on to his half-brother David Brown.
In 1874, the firm of 'James M'Kie' began 'M'Kie & Drennan,
Printers', when McKie made his step-son William Drennan a partner
in the business. The partnership ended in 1879, when Drennan went
on to work at the Kilmarnock Standard, and his part of the business
continued as Dunlop & Drennan.
McKie remained an active part of the Kilmarnock learned community
throughout his life, becoming a member of the Kilmarnock Literary
Society and one of the first members of the Ayr and Wigton
Archaeological Association, which was founded in late 1877.
Despite his own literary interests, he was aware of the local
market requirements. He commented on one work, for example: '[It
is] 332 pages - which is too much of a poetical dose for the
generality of tastes'. He also noted that he had not bound most of
a recent reprint as it 'fell dead-born from the press', remaining
mostly unsold.
Although he had an interest in Burns from an early age, it
was around the time he took over Hugh Crawford's business (about
1843), that McKie began to actively collect different editions of
Burns' works, and his collection ultimately grew to such an extent
that a wing was added to his house in order to house them. The
collection became sufficiently well-known that it attracted
international visitors, and his obituary notes that all visitors
were 'always assured of a hearty and hospitable welcome. In
1867 his interest became professional, with the publication of a
comprehensive facsimile of John Wilson's original edition of the
works of Burns. This publication was widely praised and
highly regarded, and all 600 copies were sold by subscription prior
to being printed. This was followed shortly afterwards by a
large-scale edition; by the second edition of William Scott
Douglas's The Complete Poetical Works of Robert Burns in January
1876; and by the Peoples' Statue edition of Burns in
1877.
Fearing that McKie's collection might eventually be dispersed, in
1882 the Burns Club of Kilmarnock approached him with a view to
buying the collection for the community. The money was raised via
public donations, and the Corporation of Kilmarnock officially
purchased the library and deposited it in the Burns Monument
Museum, which McKie had played an active role in
developing.
James McKie died in 26 September 1891, five years after
retiring, and in the same year as James Dick, whose Institute now
holds the McKie Collection. The Burns Chronicle was founded a year
later.