Maxwell Burns
| Maxwell Burns | |
|---|---|
 Burns's House, Dumfries | |
| Born | 25 July 1796[1] Bank Street, Dumfries, Nithsdale[1] |
| 💀Died | 1799[1] Dumfries1799[1] |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| 👴 👵 Parent(s) | Robert Burns Jean Armour[1] |
Maxwell Burns (1796–1799) was the last and a legitimate son born to the poet Robert Burns and his wife Jean Armour.[1] He was born on the 25 July 1796, the very day of his father's funeral. Maxwell died on 25 April 1799, aged only two years and nine months.[1]
Life and family[edit]
Maxwell was born in the family home at the Mill Brae Vennel, later Burns Street.[1] He was named by Jean Armour Burns for Dr. William Maxwell, who had delivered the child and had been Robert Burns's physician and friend, however Jean was unaware that Burns had written to his lawyer friend Alexander Cunningham from the Brow Well on 7 July 1796 saying that "Mrs Burns threatens in a week or two, to add one more to my paternal charge, which, if of the right gender, I intend shall be introduced to the world by the respectable designation of Alexander Cunningham Burns. My last was James Glencairn, so you can have no objection to the company of nobility".[2][1]
On 9 April 1867 William Nicol Burns, Maxwell's brother, added an entry for Maxwell on behalf of his deceased father in the Burns family birth register in the family's Bible.
Two of the last letters that Burn's was to write were sent to James Armour asking that he might send his wife to help Jean with the birth of Maxwell;[3] "For heaven's sake & as you value the welfare of your daughter, & my wife, do my dearest Sir, write to Fife to Mrs. Armour to come if possible. My wife thinks she can reckon a fortnight. The Medical people order me, as I value my existence, to fly to seabathing & country quarters, so it is ten thousand chances to one that I shall not be within a dozen miles of her when her time comes. What a situation for her, poor girl, without a single friend by her on such a serious moment".[4] 10 July 1796.[5]
Possibly the very last letter Burns ever wrote was on Monday, 18 July 1796 "Do, for heaven's sake, send Mrs Armour here immediately. My wife is hourly expecting to be put to bed. Good God! what a situation for her to be in, poor girls, without a friend! I returned from sea-bathing quarters to-day ..".[6][7]
Jessie Lewars not only nursed Robert Burns during his final illness, but also looked after his young family of four boys at her own house until Jean had recovered from the birth of her last child, Maxwell.[6]
Maxwell's legitimate siblings were Robert Burns Junior (b. 3 March 1788); Jean (b. 3 March 1788); William Nicol (b. 9 April 1791); James Glencairn (b. 12 August 1794); Francis Wallace (b. 1789) and Elizabeth Riddell (b. 21 November 1792). Short lived unnamed twin girls (b. 3 March 1788) were also born to Robert and Jean.[8]
Death[edit]
Maxwell died at the family home in Dumfries on 25 April 1799, the cause not being recorded. He was buried with his brother Francis Wallace in his father's first grave in the St Michael's graveyard and on 19 September 1815 his brothers' and his body were exhumed and re-interred in the Burns Mausoleum vault at the same time as his father.[1][9]
See also[edit]
Some use of "" in your query was not closed by a matching "".Some use of "" in your query was not closed by a matching "".
- Agnes Burns (aunt)
- Annabella Burns (aunt)
- Isabella Burns (aunt)
- John Burns (uncle)
- Robert Burns Junior (brother)
- Gilbert Burns (uncle)
- William Burns (uncle)
- Francis Wallace Burns (brother)
- Elizabeth Riddell Burns (sister)
- James Glencairn Burns (brother)
- William Nicol Burns (brother)
References[edit]
- Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 McQueen, p.35
- ↑ Purdie, David (2013). Maurice Lindsay's The Burns Encyclopaedia. Robert Hale. p. 101. ISBN 978-0-7090-9194-3. Search this book on
- ↑ McQueen, p.22
- ↑ Westwood (1996), p.73
- ↑ Ferguson, p.326
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Westwood (1996), p.75
- ↑ Ferguson, p.330
- ↑ Westwood (2008), Appendix
- ↑ Mackay, p. 680
- Sources and further reading
- Boyle, A.M. (1996). The Ayrshire Book of Burns-Lore. Darvel : Alloway Publishing. ISBN 0-907526-71-3 Search this book on ..
- Ferguson, J. De Lancey (1931). The Letters of Robert Burns. Oxford : Clarendon Press.
- Hogg, Patrick Scott (2008). Robert Burns. The Patriot Bard. Edinburgh : Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84596-412-2 Search this book on ..
- Hosie, Bronwen (2010). Robert Burns. Bard of Scotland. Glendaruel : Argyll Publishing. ISBN 978-1-906134-96-9 Search this book on ..
- Lindsay, Maurice (1954). Robert Burns. The Man, his Work, the Legend. London : Macgibbon.
- Mackay, James (2004). A Biography of Robert Burns. Edinburgh : Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 1-85158-462-5 Search this book on ..
- McIntyre, Ian (1995). Dirt & Deity. London : HarperCollins. ISBN 0-00-215964-3 Search this book on ..
- McQueen, Colin Hunter & Hunter, Douglas (2008). Hunter's Illustrated History of the Family, Friends and Contemporaries of Robert Burns. Published by Messrs Hunter Queen and Hunter. ISBN 978-0-9559732-0-8 Search this book on .
- Purdie, David; McCue Kirsteen and Carruthers, Gerrard. (2013). Maurice Lindsay's The Burns Encyclopaedia. London : Robert Hale. ISBN 978-0-7090-9194-3 Search this book on ..
- Westwood, Peter J. (1996). Jean Armour, Mrs Robert Burns: An illustrated Biography. Dumfries: Creedon Publications.
- Westwood, Peter J. (1997). Genealogical Charts of the Family of Robert Burns. Kilmarnock : The Burns Federation.
- Westwood, Peter J. (2004). The Definitive Illustrated Companion to Robert Burns. Scottish Museums Council.
- Westwood, Peter J. (Editor). (2008). Who's Who in the World of Robert Burns. Kilmarnock : Robert Burns World Federation. ISBN 978-1-899316-98-4 Search this book on .
- Williams, David (2013). Robert Burns and Ayrshire. Catrine : Alloway Publishing. ISBN 978-09-07526-95-7 Search this book on .
This article "Maxwell Burns" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Maxwell Burns. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
