J M Barrie's Birthplace

Entering the timeless world of 'make-believe' through the enchanting story of Peter Pan has been experienced by children and adults alike the world over. But it is only with the benefit of a visit to the little weaver's cottage in Kirriemuir, where the creator of this endearing boy character was born, that it is possible to gain a better understanding of how and why this magical tale evolved.

The joyous occasion of James Matthew Barrie's Birth in May 1860, the 9th of 10 children, coincided with a rare family event, a delivery of new furniture. On the very same day a set of six Victorian hair-bottomed chairs arrived at the Barrie home because Margaret Ogilvy had been saving hard to furnish the new parlour, which was to become available when her husband moved the tools of his trade to a nearby shop. In the close-knit linen-weaving community, money was never in abundance and the two-up, two-down cottages had to accommodate a handloom and store, as well as living space for a growing family.

J M Barrie spent his first eight years living and learning about life among the hard-working, poorly paid weavers, and it was from these early memories that much of his work developed. His mother, Margaret, became his greatest inspiration always relating stories of her own childhood, encouraging him to read at every opportunity, and to expand his imagination by writing his own tales of adventure. When his brother, David, died suddenly at the age of 13, it had a devastating effect on the family and, throughout her life, Barrie's mother cherished the memory of David as a boy, never growing older when everyone else around her did.

These facts appear significant in the development of the two main characters of the Peter Pan story, with Wendy being based on his mother and the ever-youthful Peter Pan being a portrayal of his late brother. Further evidence of the association between the childhood home of J M Barrie and his famous story exists in the communal wash-house to the rear of the cottages. Not only was this J M Barrie's first 'theatre' at the age of seven, but also the original idea for the 'Wendy' house.

Leaving for the bright lights of London in his early 20s, J M Barrie never forgot his humble upbringing and used to return regularly to Scotland. After his death in 1937, some of his furniture and personal possessions were returned to the small childhood home of J M Barrie, which had subsequently been rescued and given to the National Trust for Scotland as a lasting memorial to this famous novelist and dramatist. With the restoration and reconstruction of the cottage, it now closely resembles how it would have looked when the Barrie family occupied it, complete with two of the original chairs purchased by J M Barrie's mother in 1860. Absorbed by the wealth of memorabilia, family portraits and drawings, it is almost too easy to become part of that 'Never-Never' world, and forget about the trials and tribulations of adulthood.