BURNS'S HOUSE AT MAUCHLINE.

PURCHASE OF DR MACKENZIE'S HOUSE.

N Saturday, 9th September, the Executive Com

ON mittee of the Glasgow and District Burns Clubs

On arrival they at

Association made a pilgrimage to Mauchline, travelling from the city in a saloon carriage. once proceeded to the old churchyard, where they spent some time around the graves of Gavin Hamilton, Daddy Auld, and others immortalised by Burns. The party next visited the Burns House in the Back Causeway. This property was acquired by the Glasgow Burns Clubs Association some time ago, and was formally inaugurated last year, part of it being utilised as a museum, while the other rooms are occupied by three aged women, who have found comfortable homes wherein to spend the evening of their days free from "cankert care.' Adjoining the Burns House-the house where Burns and Jean Armour commenced housekeeping-there is a ruinous property which was at one time occupied by Dr John Mackenzie, who was medical attendant to the Burns family, and who proved a true friend to Jean Armour when she incurred the wrath of her parents in consequence of her relations with the Poet. It is believed that Dr Mackenzie afforded "Bonnie Jean" the shelter of his house when, in a state of distraction, she was first driven from home. Dr Mackenzie's house has now also been acquired by the Glasgow Burns Clubs Association, and although the directors have not yet decided what is to be done with it, the feeling appears to be that the house will be restored in the same way as the Burns House, and additional accommodation provided for aged poor people who have in the battle of life been tempest driven." The little museum in the Burns House was inspected with much interest.

During

the year many gifts have been received, and the exhibits have been most attractively laid out.

The company afterwards sat down to tea in the Black Bull Hotel. Mr William M. Douglas, President of the Association, occupied the chair, and Mr Charles R. Cowie, Vice-president, officiated as croupier.

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The Chairman, after proposing "The King," said he was delighted to see such a large and representative turnout of Burns Clubs at this the first annual visit to their property in Mauchline. They had been very fortunate as regards the weather, and he was sure they had all enjoyed their visit. They regretted very much the absence of their friend, Mr Alexander Mackenzie, President of the National Burns Club, and still more they regretted the of his absence. At the Federation meeting the previous Saturday it had been announced that he had lost one of his sons in the war, and to-day he was sorry to say that he had lost another. This was really a very severe blow to Mr Mackenzie, and he thought they might ask their Secretary to convey the sympathy of this gathering of Burnsians to their friend in his great and serious bereavement. (The members rose to their feet for a few moments in token of their sympathy.) Proceeding, the Chairman said he believed the present was the first of many visits that the Glasgow Burns Association would pay to Mauchline. It was intended that they should have an annual visit, and he was sure the members would always be glad to come there to see the Burns House and the old ladies who were so comfortably housed within its walls. Every one of them, he was certain, must have been delighted with the condition of the property. He thought it reflected great credit on the old ladies that the houses were in such excellent order. They had also visited the house next door—the old house which was in rather a ruinous condition -and he was authorised to make the public announcement that that house was now the property of the Glasgow Burns Clubs Association. After considerable correspondence with the proprietor in Belfast, they had been

able to secure this property through the good offices of their friend, Mr Cowie, who, on this occasion, as on many others in connection with Burns matters, had shown a generosity that was beyond all praise. This was neither the time nor the occasion to discuss what was to be done

with the property. That would be settled by the Directors of the Association, but they were greatly indebted to Mr Cowie for his devotion to the memory of Burns, and more especially to the memory of Jean Armour. After all, the Burns House was a memorial to Jean Armour rather than to her husband. The adjoining house, or at least part of it, had been occupied by Dr Mackenzie, the friend and neighbour of the Poet, and in acquiring this property he thought they had completed the work of the Association in this part of the town of Mauchline. The members of the Association and lovers of Burns generally could not feel too grateful to Mr Cowie for putting them in possession of a property having so many interesting associations with the Poet. He would ask them in the very heartiest way to accord a vote of thanks to Mr Cowie for his devotion to the memory of Burns and Jean Armour, and for his exceeding generosity in giving all assistance to the Glasgow Burns. Clubs Association in purchasing this property.

Mr Cowie, who was received with loud applause, said it was certainly a great gratification to him to know that on this the first anniversary of the opening of the Burns House property they should be enabled to come down to Mauchline again and see those houses finished now as they were not then-inhabited by old ladies who were deeply grateful to the Glasgow Burns Clubs Association for the kindness and assistance that had been given them, and to find the houses such models of neatness, tidiness, and cleanliness. On the occasion of the opening of the Burns House twelve months ago, he had mentioned in his remarks that Mauchline was a perfect museum for Burns lovers, and that there were three objects which he thought Burns lovers should endeavour to attain in connection with Mauchline, to go no further afield. One of them was the

purchase of Dr Mackenzie's house. Now, as their President had told them, that had been accomplished. The house formerly occupied by Dr Mackenzie was now the property of the Burns Clubs Association. Although the transfer had not yet been made, still the contract for purchase had been completed, and Mr Hunter, their Secretary, had that day shown them the titles, which had been handed to him for examination.

question,

place.

Irvine,

There was some

The title deed

even as late as that week, as to whether the house in question was really Dr Mackenzie's house. They knew that tradition in Mauchline amongst those who knew the town well always associated Dr Mackenzie with the occupation of this house, and on his removal to Irvine it was taken over by Dr Dugald Hamilton, a son of Gavin Hamilton, who had his professional premises in the same But some people said, "We don't know about that, we are not quite sure, we think it was somewhere else." However, they had now got the proof. bore that in the year 1831 this house was conveyed “by the heirs and successors of Dr John Mackenzie, formerly of now of Edinburgh," so that that set the matter entirely at rest. The deed also bore that one of the Occupants of the house at that time was Dugald Hamilton, who bought the practice of Dr Mackenzie when he left for They might therefore feel assured that there could be no doubt that they had got the house that Dr Mackenzie occupied either as a home or as a surgeryit was immaterial to them to know which. But it might be said, "Why all this fuss about Dr Mackenzie?" Well, Dr Mackenzie was a true man, as he was proud to say so many medical men in the country were-men who were always ministering to the poor and sick and needy--men who did not spare themselves either by day or by night. Dr Mackenzie Burns and his father and mother and brothers were living When the father was lying on a sick-bed Mr Mackenzie—he was not then doctor-was called in, and he took a great interest in the two sons, Cilber; and

Irvine.

at Lochlea.

was first introduced to their notice when

Robert. He was specially attracted to Robert, and when the old man-the Poet's father-died, and Robert and his brothers removed to Mossgiel, Dr Mackenzie continued his interest in them and on many occasions befriended Burns. They knew that on one occasion he had introduced Burns to Sir John Whitefoord of Ballochmyle, and on another occasion to Dugald Stewart, and through him to the Earl of Dumfries. They knew that these gentlemen not only befriended Burns while he was at Mossgiel and in Mauchline, but also when he went to Edinburgh. They knew, above

all, that Dr Mackenzie was a friend of Jean Armour in all her trials and difficulties, and there was a widespread view -although some people doubted it-that Jean Armour, when she was driven from her father's house on the first occasion, took refuge with Dr Mackenzie, and that he befriended her at a time when she sorely needed friends. They knew also that Dr Mackenzie was with her when her children were born, and that throughout the whole time Burns and his family were in Mauchline he was always at their call either as a personal or a medical friend, and they knew that Dr Mackenzie was held in high esteem by the Poet. "Commonsense," Burns had called him, because he had written some articles under that title. They remembered the couplet in "The Holy Fair" :

While Commonsense has ta'en the road,

An' aff, an' up the Cowgate."

Now, it so happened that at the end of the eighteenth century the Earl of Eglinton was occupying Mauchline Castle, and being in need of assistance he called in Dr Mackenzie. The Earl was so satisfied with the attendance he got and with the skill which Dr Mackenzie displayed that he urged him to go to Irvine, so that he might be near to Eglinton Castle and in a position to minister to him and his family and servants. In consideration of Dr Mackenzie doing so, the Earl made a bond guaranteeing him an annunity of £130, and Dr Mackenzie was to be allowed to take practice in Irvine wherever he could get it.