of contempt of the sleight-of-hand blackguard who had stolen away this charming Kilmarnock belle, who had the reputation of being exceptionally handsome. In addition to being the composer of this popular song, Jean Glover had fine natural vocal gifts, and the song she was said to have sung with most effect was "Green Grow the Rashes." After a life of many vicissitudes and trials she died at Letterkenny, in Ireland, in 1801, leaving this solitary lyric to perpetuate the memory of her sad and roving life. Originally, the tune appeared about 1764 as a reel in Bremner's collection, and another version was published in Johnson's Museum.

The concluding author of this chapter has usually met with but scant justice at the hands of his critics, and yet John Pinkerton has contributed his fair share to the John Pinkerton, literature of the country, if not as a poet, at 1758-1826. least as an antiquarian and historian. His twenty-four works cover a vast range, and show him to have been a writer of accurate knowledge and discriminating power, which scarcely justifies the partial oblivion which now is his. Born in Edinburgh, and almost self-educated, first studying law, then literature, he became a shrewd, though somewhat acrid critic, and this seems to have marred his reputation in the eyes of certain writers who have had occasion to refer to his work. Moreover, he was detected in literary deception in claiming that he had taken down the second part of the poem "Hardyknute" from a Lanarkshire lady, who gave it from memory as an ancient production, though he afterwards acknowledged the same to be his own. After the slashing and unmerciful attack he had made on Macpherson's "Ossian" this did him much harm. In his Select Scottish Ballads, too, he endeavoured to give the words of " Bothwell Bank antiquarian flavour by adopting an old form of spelling. In spite of those defects of character, however, he wrote and published a considerable amount of good original poetry, the merits of which were duly appreciated by Dr Beattie. As a painstaking historian. and antiquarian he ranks far above the average, and as such he was highly esteemed by Gibbon, who desired him as a colleague

an

in editing the British historians.

He was also in close correspondence with the most famous men of letters in his day. In the appreciation of Pinkerton's poetry Beattie stood not alone, for his admirers included Dr Percy and the fastidious Horace Walpole. His writings are of a miscellaneous character, and include Letters on Literature, which contains a fund of valuable information, Scottish Tragic Ballads, Select Scottish Ballads, and Ancient Scottish Poems. He also wrote a History of Scotland, which is marked by much critical insight and originality. His life was exclusively that of the indefatigable literary man, and his career was consequently not an eventful one. It is said that in youth he wrote for his own pleasure and gratification, and in age for his daily bread, which appears to have been the extent of his material reward. He died in Paris in the seventieth year of his age in

state of poverty and neglect.

WM. M'ILWRAITH.

a

T is well known to those familiar with the life of Robert Burns

IT

that he was a frequent visitor to the ancient Royal Burgh of Sanquhar, and that he was also on terms of intimacy with some of its leading citizens. The town and parish were included in the district covered by him as an Exciseman, and, being at its western extremity, he was often obliged to remain there overnight; and he conferred an abiding distinction on the burgh by dubbing it "Black Joan" in his ballad of "The Five Carlines." But few are aware that Burns had any closer connection with the town. He was, however, admitted a burgess and freeman of the Royal Burgh upon Tuesday, the 23rd day of December, 1794. The fact of Burns's admission to the freedom of Sanquhar had long been lost sight of, and how the knowledge of it was again brought to light is worth retailing. No regular roll of burgesses appears ever to have been kept in Sanquhar, and it was while endeavouring to supply this want that, in September, 1907, I, not quite unexpectedly, came across the entry of the Poet's admission to all the rights and privileges of a freeman. To obtain a list of the

burgesses I had to search the Town Council minutes, vouchers and accounts, records of incorporated trades, and other papers preserved among the burgh archives. It was tedious work, carried on intermittently; but a list of burgesses, so far as can be extracted from such sources, has now been compiled, commencing in 1714 (previous to which year all the burgh's papers were accidently destroyed by fire) and bringing the burgess roll down to 1835. In my research I received much valuable assistance from Mr William Forsyth, the town clerk of Sanquhar, who gave me every facility for consulting the burgh records.

The entry of Burns as a burgess of Sanquhar is given in a list drawn up by John Crichton, the town clerk of the time, being a "Note of burgess tickets given out by the town from 8th November, 1794, to Michaelmas, 1796," and had been given in by him at the settling of the burgh accounts at Michaelmas, 1796, as evidence of the town's indebtedness to him-for the town clerk was allowed a fee of a shilling for each ticket he made out. The list embraces twenty-six names, and in the balance sheet of Thomas Barker, the treasurer, it is shown that John Crichton was paid twenty-six shillings for writing the tickets. In the entry, opposite the date, 23rd December, 1794, the Poet is described simply as "Mr Robert Burns, Dumfries."

Needless to say, it was very gratifying to me when I came across such an interesting and historic document. My father had told me long before that Burns was a burgess of Sanquhar, but lack of documentary proof had made many people sceptical, who otherwise would have been proud to connect the Poet by such a close link with the ancient burgh. The people of Sanquhar were greatly delighted when undeniable testimony was produced, and the knowledge that Robert Burns had actually been a freeman of their "ain auld grey toun" seemed to make some of the citizens hold their heads "a wee thocht" higher. The list of burgesses as it stands shows an array of many men who were famous in their day and generation, in honouring whom the ancient burgh did greater honour to herself, and in no instance more so than in thus showing its respect for and admiration of the National Bard. The list of burgesses contains a surprising number of the names of intimate friends of the Poet and others who are referred to in his works, or mentioned in connection with him-names familiar to every Burns student. And believing that a list of these names will interest many readers I give them below.

It was during the Provostship of his friend, Edward Whigham, the landlord of the Queensberry Arms Inn, that Burns became a freeman of Sanquhar, and it is interesting to know who formed the Town Council of the time. They were::—Provost, Edward Whigham, innkeeper; Dean of Guild, John Crichton,

heritor, Sanquhar; First Bailie, Edward Witherington, heritor, Sanquhar; Second Bailie, Robert M'Math, heritor, Sanquhar ; Third Bailie, John Henderson, schoolmaster, Sanquhar; Treasurer, Thomas Barker at Newark. Councillors-John M'Murdo, Drumlanrig; William Johnston of Roundstonefoot; John Taylor at Castle Mains; William Hutchinson at Rig ; John Bramwell, overseer, Wanlockhead; Robert Hunter, wright in Sanquhar; Thomas Bradfute, tailor in Sanquhar; James M'Millan, shoemaker, Sanquhar; William Whigham, weaver, Sanquhar; William Lorimer, clerk at Wanlockhead; John Crichton, writer in Sanquhar. Of course all the above members of the Town Council were de facto burgesses and freemen.

The following are intimates of Robert Burns, whose names are on the burgess roll, with the dates of their admission :-Robert Whigham, shoemaker in Sanquhar, September 7, 1758; Alex. Fergusson, Esq. of Craigdarroch, July 22, 1760; John Maxwell, Esq. of Terraughtie, 1766; William Maxwell, second son of the above, 1776; His Grace William, Duke of Queensberry, September 7, 1779; William Purdie, surgeon in Sanquhar, September 30, 1782; Patrick Miller, Esq., younger of Dalswinton, October 5, 1789; Robert Riddell, Esq. of Glenriddell, November 12, 1789; Charles Maxwell of Carruchan, November 12, 1789; John Rigg, Crawick Forge, February 22, 1790; William Wallace, writer, Dumfries, October, 1790; Quintin M'Adam, Esq. of Waterside, January 22, 1791; Francis Shortt, town clerk of Dumfries, June 2, 1792; Mr Hamilton, writer in Dumfries, April, 1793; Mr Blair, late Provost of Dumfries, September, 1793; Mr Laidlaw, writer in Dumfries, September 9, 1793; Alexander Findlater, supervisor of Excise, July 1, 1794; Quintin M'Adam of Craigingillan, January 19, 1795; David Newall of Bushybank, October 15, 1795; John Whigham, son of Provost Whigham, September 30, 1799; Crawford Tait, W.S., of Harvieston, October 5, 1801.

Of the members of the Town Council as above Burns was on particularly friendly terms with Provost Whigham, Mr Barker, Mr M'Murdo, Mr Johnston, and Mr Taylor. The following brief