Robert Burns & Inverclyde Robert Burns’ first patron, James Highland Mary Cunningham, 14th Earl of Glencairn was born at Finlaystone near Langbank in 1749. Burn’s sadness at the death of his patron, He was one of the Representative Scottish after whom he named one of his sons Peers in the House of Lords from 1780- James Glencairn Burns, is contained in the 1784 and was patron of the parish of words of the Lament for James, Earl of Kilmarnock. In 1785 he inspired Burn’s Inverclyde’s link Glencairn. Inverclyde is within an hour’s drive of & satire The Ordination when he appointed a “The mother may forget the child, Kilmarnock and Ayr. By following the staunch Conservative, the Reverend to Robert Burns That smiles sae sweetly on her knee, Burns Heritage Trail, visitors can see places William McKinlay, to fill a parish vacancy. But I’ll remember thee, of interest, including Failford, which were Glencairn And a’that thou has done for me!” Colin Rae Brown associated with Burn’s life in Ayrshire and Alexander Dalziel, who was the Earl’s Dumfries. factor, was responsible for introducing him Colin Rae Brown, a name well known to Although there are a number of reasons to the work of Burns. Consequently, when Burnsians, was born in Greenock in 1821. why Robert Burns could have visited For further information on Burns in Burns went to Edinburgh in 1786 with a His family had links with the Old West Kirk Inverclyde, little concrete evidence exists Ayrshire contact Visit Scotland: letter of introduction to the Earl from which may have kindled his interest in apart from the fact that he visited www.visitscotland.com Dalrymple of Orangefield, the Earl was Highland Mary and Robert Burns. Finlaystone. familiar with some of his work. He became Designed by Corporate Communications, Chief Executive’s Office, April 2004. Office, Designed Chief by Corporate Executive’s Communications, Designed and produced by Inverclyde Council, March 2004. Designed and Council, produced by Inverclyde Burn’s patron, introducing him to the In the early 1840’s, Colin Rae Brown worked Burns may have visited Highland Mary’s social and literary circles in Edinburgh. for a stationers and bookshop, Brown and grave in Greenock during his Highland McCallum which had premises at 4 Hamilton Tour of 1787 and it is suggested that he Robert Burns is known to have visited Street, Greenock. Later he wrote for the visited the Crawfurd family at Cartsburn “She has my heart, Glencairn at Finlaystone. As if to verify his Daily Bulletin, a Scottish daily paper printed House. He is thought to have stayed in Port She has my hand, visit, he scratched his name on a window in Glasgow. Finally moved to live and work in Glasgow with Captain Richard Brown, pane and added the date of the bottle that London. By secret troth and whom he had originally met in Irvine in Front cover: Marble statue of Highland Mary & Robert Burns, Highland Mary’s headstone, Greenock BurnsGreenock Marble statue Club of logo Highland headstone, Mary Highland & Front Mary’s Robertcover: Burns, he and the Earl were drinking. honours band, the early 1780s. When they had first met He was president of the Mother Club in Burns was impressed by Brown’s 1844, 1845 and 1847. Through his Till the mortals stroke worldliness and their friendship grew over enthusiasm for Burns, the London Burns Shall lay me low a number of years. By 1789 Richard Brown Club was formed in 1868. He was its was master of the ship Mary and Jean sailing President for 12 years and in 1885 he helped Colin Rae Brown I’m thine my between Greenock and Granada. His found the Burns Federation. It was on his highland lassie O” house, which was demolished some years suggestion that the Federation undertake the ago, was in the Bay Street area of Port published Burns Chronicle in 1891. Glasgow. Richard Brown was an Highland Mary’s headstone Finlaystone Estate enthusiastic supporter of the Greenock Today the Burns Federation has affiliated Ayrshire Society, which was formed at Clubs in 16 countries and the membership is about the time of Burn’s death, and it is The Earl went to Portugal in the Autumn in excess of 80,000. more likely that he was a founder member For more information contact: 01475 715555 of 1790 for health reasons but returned to Inverclyde Inverclyde of Greenock Burns Club. council www.inverclyde.gov.uk council England where he died in January 1791. Highland Mary’s Grave Greenock Burns Club (The Mother Club) Highland Mary In the song “The Highland As Burn’s poetry increased in popularity, The Old West Kirk was in At the end of the eighteenth century, a The funds of the Club have always been spent Many changes have taken place since Lassie O” Burns wrote: interest in Highland Mary was aroused. an area near to the considerable number of Ayrshire born on charitable and educational schemes. The Greenock Burns Club was founded. At the “She has my heart, she has my hand, Although the Burns Club suggested a harbours. In order to allow merchants were living in the Inverclyde Mary Campbell or Highland Mary was before a witness. Jean Armour and Robert Greenock Post Office Directories for the 19th Burns Centenary Dinner in 1859, ladies By secret troth and honour’s band, memorial to mark her grave as early as 1803, for Harland & Wolff’s shipyard to expand, the area. These men, some of whom knew born in a thatched cottage on Auchnamore Burns appear to have “married” and even century and up until 1915 refer to an annual were permitted to view the after dinner Till the mortal stroke shall lay me low, it was not until the 25th January 1842 that church was moved to its present site on the Burns, founded the Greenock Ayrshire Farm near Dunoon. Her father, Archie though their certificate was destroyed by competition run by the Burns Club for local entertainment from the Gallery in the I’m thine, my Highland Lassie O!” the foundation stone was laid in the Old West Esplanade in 1926. Although some of the Society in 1795. It had a charitable function Campbell, was a seaman. In 1773, when he Jean’s father it was not invalidated. school children. Prizes were awarded for Town Hall. In the late 1970’s, ladies were - which suggests that some type of Kirk yard by Patrick Maxwell Stewart who grave stones were taken to the new site, providing education for able children from became part owner of a sloop which “proficiency in singing and reciting the poems of admitted to the Mother Club and in 1986 “marriage” had taken place. was the Member of Parliament for Highland Mary’s remains and monument poor homes and helping the needy carried coal between Troon, Ardrossan and On 14th May Mary had her final meeting Burns and other Scottish literature”. the first lady member and Club Bard, Renfrewshire. were moved to Greenock Cemetery. financially. Campbeltown, the family moved to with Burns on the banks of the Fail, a Mabel Irving, became the first lady to be Mary left her work in Ayrshire and sailed Campbeltown. tributary of the Ayr. They washed their There were also wild flower competitions held President. from Greenock to Campbeltown shortly According to a report published in the In 1917 the Burn’s Federation appointed a Members of the Greenock Ayrshire Society hands in the water before exchanging in the Autumn for the best collection of wild after this meeting. In the autumn she Greenock Advertiser on 23rd January 1842 a committee to deal with the logistics of were responsible for forming the first Burns At 14 years old Mary started working as an bibles and plighting their troth. There is no flowers, grasses, ferns, bouquets of wild Worldwide links with other clubs are returned to Greenock with her father. To sealed bottle containing an inscription, coins moving Highland Mary’s grave from the Old Club in Greenock in 1801. Captain Richard under nursemaid. trace of the bible which Mary gave Burns. flowers and window plants. The Mother Club maintained through the exchange of honour her brother Robert’s success on and newspapers was placed in the cavity of a Kirk yard. On 8th November 1920, the Brown and Alexander Dalziel are thought to still encourages schools’ poetry competitions greetings which are sent and received by becoming an apprentice carpenter at Scott’s stone. The inscription read: “The structure remains of Highland Mary were disinterred have been members, but it was Neil At first she was employed near her home The two volume Bible which Mary but there are no recent references to awards The Mother Club. Burns Clubs have been Shipyard. They lodged with their relations, which is over this stone has been erected by the and put in an oak casket, supervised by Dougall, the composer of the tune and later moved to work on Arran with the received was handed down through the being given for wild flower collections. established wherever Scottish people have the MacPhersons, who lived at 31 Upper contributions of many admirers of Scotia’s Bard in Greenock Burns Club. Kilmarnock, who was the first person to sign family of David Campbell, a Catechist, who Campbell family to William Anderson, settled, from Bahrain to Canada and Charles Street in the centre of the town. memory of his early love Mary Campbell or the Club records. was related to her mother. Eventually she Mary’s nephew, who emigrated to Canada During the blitz in 1941, the building in Indonesia to Mexico.