American Toby Jug Museum 

Souter Johnnie toby jug produced by William Kent of Burslem, England, circa 1950. The character of Souter Johnnie became famous worldwide thanks to his appearance in a few lines of one of Robert Burns's greatest narrative poems, "Tam o' Shanter". Burns describes him as an old friend of the protagonist, Tam, with whom he spends his time drinking in Ayr's public houses on market days, often returning home late. Even though the story was based on an old legend, Burns' characters were inspired by real people that he met over the years. John Davidson was the man behind Souter Johnnie, a shoemaker who lived in the small village of Kirkoswald, in Ayrshire.