Andrew Jackson And The Swearing Parrot
Presidents and their pets is officially a series here now. The story of Rebecca the White House Raccoon was fascinating and led to a bit of a rabbit hole with the number of presidential pets in history. So, it’s time for part 2. Today we’re looking at Poll the Parrot — the beloved companion of Andrew Jackson.
The reason I’ve chosen Andrew Jackson and his parrot for today’s article is because of one famous incident. June 10th marks the date of Jackson’s funeral. The story goes that his parrot Poll was one of the guests — and why not after years of companionship. The problem was that Poll was also a pretty foul-mouthed bird thanks to coaching by Jackson himself. Allegedly, Poll was removed from the service after a few inappropriate curse words.
Poll was part of Jackson’s life for almost 20 years, and they formed a strong bond during that time. As an African Grey, one of the smartest mimics around, he could have picked up a vast vocabulary over that time. Poll was found in a candy store in Nashville and originally intended as the pet of Rachel Jackson, Andrew’s wife. But, following her death, Andrew became his primary carer. The pair grew close, and he apparently asked about his well-being whenever he was away from home.
What Did Poll The Parrot Say?!
One of the most frustrating aspects of this story is that no one seems to be sure exactly what Poll said. Just how outrageous was he? If he was telling the Reverend or some of the esteemed guests to f*** off, that would be both funny and cause for her removal. It wouldn’t be impossible either. There was a story in 2018 of an escaped parrot in London telling firefighters to do the same. Maybe he was saying disparaging things about the wives of the guests. Again, it’s not impossible if Jackson had been spreading gossip within earshot.
Chances are that it was all pretty tame by today’s standards. The story goes that he was merely overexcited by the fuss in his residence and began a long tirade of inappropriate words. It’s easy to feel sorry for Poll in this situation. The poor bird had now seen two beloved owners pass on and was dealing with a bunch of people in his home. Everyone grieves differently. Still, it might have been difficult to finish a sermon with all that screeching going on. Eventually, the service concluded, and Jackson was laid to rest beside his wife.
There is one final fact about Poll’s legacy that is the perfect end to the story. Tourists who visit the Hermitage can enjoy the benefits of an audio tour. The narrator gives them information about the building and its history and has a cute character to appeal to kids. It’s Poll. Thankfully, this one appears to be much better behaved.
Skeptics question the validity of the story of Poll and Jackson’s funeral. The thought is that it’s a bit like a game of broken telephone where the information gets embellished and misinterpreted with every step. It’s a great tale and one that’s overshadowed any other aspects of Jackson’s death and funeral. There’s no reason why it can’t be true if Poll really did take after his owner. So, let’s remember Poll as that rebellious bird that upset Jackson’s mourners — whether he did or not.
The series so far
Part 1: Rebecca The White House Raccoon https://medium.com/@d.e.bradley/rebecca-the-white-house-raccoon-7c007075282f
Part 2: George Washington And The American Mule https://medium.com/@d.e.bradley/george-washington-and-the-american-mule-9917da1f7fa5
Part 3: Andrew Jackson And The Swearing Parrot https://medium.com/@d.e.bradley/andrew-jackson-and-the-swearing-parrot-c25acfdece0a
Part 4: The Roosevelt’s Rabbit https://medium.com/@d.e.bradley/a-state-funeral-for-a-rabbit-e57d658e5381
