Billy Marshall, King of the Galloway Tinker Gypsies died on 28th November 1792, allegedly at the age of 120 years.
Billy Marshall fought at the Battle of the Boyne and deserted the army seven times and the Royal Navy three times during his eventful 120 years on earth
The oldest man recorded in modern history books — one Jiroemon Kimura of Japan — reached 116 years, 54 days. But even this grand old age doesn't beat the oldest ever Scotsman, who is said to have lived for more than 120 years. What's more, William 'Billy' Marshall was around long before the age of modern medicine and at a time when average life expectancy was less than 50 years.
Marshall died on this day in 1792 and his tombstone in St Cuthbert's churchyard in Kirkcudbright records that he reached the 'advanced age of 120 years'.
It also records his occupation as 'tinker' although he was also known as the 'King of the Gypsies', the 'King of the Randies' and the 'Caird of Barullion'. Billy was also a bare knuckle boxer, a smuggler, a soldier who deserted seven times and a sailor who deserted three times.
He was married 17 times and was the father of 68 children, including four reputedly after his 100th birthday.
Billy is said to have fought with William of Orange at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 and more than once with the Duke of Marlborough at Flanders during the Nine Years War (1688-1697).
However, he deserted each year, no matter where he was, in order to attend Keltonhill Fair, two miles from Castle Douglas. The Horse Fair was the highlight of the gypsy year, and Billy claimed not to have missed one in a 100 years.
According to an entry in the New Annual Register for 1792: "This miracle of longevity retained his senses almost to the last hour of his life. He remembered distinctly to have seen King William's Fleet, when on their way to Ireland, riding at anchor in the Solway Firth close by the bay of Kirkcudbright, and the transports lying in the harbour.
"He was present at the siege of Derry (in 1689), where having lost his uncle, who commanded a King's frigate, he returned home, enlisted in the Dutch service, went to Holland and soon after deserted, and came back to his native country.
"Naturally of a wandering and unsettled turn of mind, he could never remain long in any particular place. Hence he took up the occupation of a tinker, headed a body of lawless bandits and frequently traversed the kingdom from one end to the other. But it is to be observed to his credit that all the thieving wandering geniuses who, during the weakness of the established government, led forth their various gangs to plunder and to alarm the country, he was far the most honourable in his profession."
Having served as a soldier, he was able to organise the country people who lost land when landowners built stone dykes and walls and went round knocking them down.
He was a skilled horner, giving him the name 'Caird of Barullion' - a ceardon being a gypsy word for a skilled worker who practices some trade or handicraft and Barullion being his homeland in Galloway.
Several examples of his work made of cow, sheep and goat horn at the Museum of Kirkcudbright. One of the spoons has a twisted handle and is inscribed 'W x M 115 1788' — his initials, age and the date.
