He was born in Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire, Scotland in 1839, the son of Archibald Hunter and Elizabeth Hill, came to Canada West with his family in 1842 and was educated at Goderich and Upper Canada College.
Habbie Simpson is one of the main focuses of the celebration of Lilias day, during which he "comes to life" from his statue on the steeple, the statue being covered by a flag for the day.
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Inhabitants of Kilbarchan are informally known as "Habbies" after the famous village piper Habbie Simpson.
Robert Sempill the younger - The Life and Death of Habbie Simpson, Piper of Kilbarchan
The Dalry and North Johnstone Line (also known as the Lochwinnoch Loop Line or Kilbarchan Loop Line) was a branch of the Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR) in Renfrewshire and Ayrshire, Scotland, connecting the stations in Elderslie and Dalry via a route running parallel to the existing line built by the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway.
Habbie Simpson, the Scottish piper from Kilbarchan whom the stanza is ultimately named after