66

Ah, Chloris! Sir Robert Halket, of Pitferran, the author. Note. He married her, the heiress of Pitferran.' Apparently the reference is to a song, but so far I have not been able to trace it, and though there are several references to Sir Peter in local histories, The Scottish Nation, &c., no mention is made of his being a poet. Another of the family, Lady Elizabeth Halket, who married Sir Henry Wardlaw, of Pitreavie, in 1696, is the reputed authoress

e, and

urch in

66

of the ballad, Hardy Knute." Pitferran is an estate
lying to the south-west of Dunfermline, and the Sir Peter
who married the heiress was Sir Peter Wedderburn, who
took as his wife Janet Halket, sister of Elizabeth mentioned
above. In consequence of this marriage he and his
descendants were obliged to take the name and arms of
Halket. Another Halket, who was not, however, of the
same family, was the author of the popular song, Logie
o' Buchan," and the Jacobite ballad, "Wherry Whigs awa

man.

وو

The other reference is given thus:

66

Fife and a' the

land about it.--R. Fergusson."

66

This probably refers to some poem of Robert Fergusson's, but in my copy of that poet's works, edited by Robert Aiken, there is no poem of that name, though, as has been already said, there are several references to the Kingdom" in his works. It is possible, of course, that some other Fergusson is meant. There was a family of Fergussons, of Raith, Fifeshire, who were of some note in Burns's day. Perhaps the note may refer to one of these.

In Johnson's Museum (1792) there appears a song, The Carls o' Dysart," which owes its present form to the National Bard, though its basis was an old Fifeshire boat-song:

In Cromek's Reliques (1808) there is given an epitaph on one William Michie, Schoolmaster of Cleish Parish, Fifeshire," which runs as follows:

According to Allan Cunningham, Michie was introduced to Burns in Edinburgh. Scott Douglas states that no further information has been vouchsafed to us regarding this clever dominie, but in Wallace's edition of Chambers's Life we are told that Michie, whose name is given as Ebenezer, was introduced by Nicol to Burns while they were taking an evening stroll together in Edinburgh. Michie was dominie" first at Kettle, in the centre of Fife, and afterwards at Cleish. The latter place, it may be mentioned, is not in Fifeshire but in Kinross-shire. There is some reason to believe, however, that this epitaph is not genuine Burns.

66

66

A number of the friends of the Bard had a connection with the Kingdom." William Creech, who published the first Edinburgh editions of his poems, was the grandson of a farmer in the county. Peter Hill, bookseller, who was on very intimate terms with the Poet, and who supplied him with many of his books, was a Fifeshire man. He was the son of James Hill, collector of shore dues at Dysart, by his wife, Margaret Russell, who was a native of Dunfermline. Peter was himself a Fifer, having been born at Dysart in 1754.

George Thomson, who was on very intimate terms with Burns, and to whose book on the melodies of Scotland the Poet contributed so much, was a native of Limekilns, near Dunfermline. His father, Mr Robert Thomson (as he is styled in the Register of Baptisms), was schoolmaster there for a few years, and it was there that George his eldest son, was born in 1757.

When Burns resided in Dumfries he sometimes attended the Secession Church there (now Loreburn U.F. Church). The minister in his day was the Rev. William Inglis, who was a native of the Fifeshire village of Freuchie.

WM. M'MILLAN.

Dunfermline.

THE MURISON COLLECTION.

SIR A. GIBB HONOURED.

IR ALEXANDER GIBB, the donor of the Murison

Alection of Burns's Works to the Carnegie Library,

Dunfermline, was honoured at dinner in the Burns House, Glasgow, on 9th December last, by the Burns Federation, and from the hands of the president, Duncan M'Naught, LL.D., who presided over a large and enthusiastic meeting, received an illuminated address enclosed in a case of Levant morocco, bearing in gilt the arms designed by the Poet himself. The address is executed in black, red, and gold. Among those present were Dr M'Naught, Sir Alexander Gibb, Mr Thomas Amos, secretary of the Federation; Major G. A. Innes, treasurer; Mr J. Jeffrey Hunter, senior vicepresident; Mr Thomas Killin, Glasgow Mauchline Society; Sir Robert Wilson, Mr Hugh M'Coll, president, Old Glasgow Club; Provost Norval, Dunfermline; `Mr Andrew Shearer, Town Clerk, Dunfermline; Mr P. Paterson, Mr J. C. Ewing, and Mr T. C. F. Brotchie.Taylorlibb, Heuchere After the usual royal and patriotic toasts the Chairman, in presenting Sir Alexander Gibb with the address, said they would remember that 18 months ago he had the honour to present an illuminated address and commemorative album to Colonel John Gribbel, of Philadelphia. Two valuable manuscripts of Robert Burns were carried off to America, and they considered they were lost to the Scottish nation, but they were agreeably surprised when they were returned by Mr Gribbel, into whose possession they had come. Acting on that good example they had Sir Alexander Gibb coming forward in the same way. It might be said his gift was a local gift, but just as Mr Gribbel's was a national gift united with a locality, so Sir Alexander Gibb's was a local gift which was associated with the whole

nation, for the manuscripts were placed in the Carnegie Library, open to all students of Burns. They would all have noticed in Mondays Glasgow Herald the sad news of the death of Mr Murison, and they regretted deeply the passing of a very old friend. Continuing, Dr M'Naught con

gratulated Sir Alexander Gibb on his enterprise and generosity. Whenever he received the report of this collection. and its value, he at once purchased it. If the collection had not been purchased at that time it would assuredly have gone to the salerooms and been dispersed, never again to be brought together. Speaking of the personal qualities