High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Robert Gilfillan (7 July 1798 – 4 December 1850) was a poet and songwriter, born at Dunfermline, Scotland, and latterly a collector of the police rates at Leith. He wrote a number of Scottish songs, and was favourably mentioned in Noctes Ambrosianae (see Wilson, J.). He was the author of the beautiful song, Oh, why left I my Hame?.