27 Facts About Isabella Burns

Isabella Burns was the source of many published insights into Burns's life, character and loves.

Isabella Burns's sisters were Agnes and Annabella whilst her brothers were Robert, Gilbert, John and William.

Isabella Burns recalled that her mother sang sweetly and had a great fund of ballads and songs, this being a significant influence on Robert.

Isabella Burns emphasised how considerate and supportive she was to her husband.

Isabella Burns remembered her sister Annabella taking her to dance at age 11 with Matthew Paterson at Tarbolton's Bacherlors' Club after his intended partner failed to turn up.

Isabella Burns had been at a sewing class in the village.

Gilbert and Isabella Burns are regarded as being very articulate and having a literacy propensity far above the average.

At the age of 22 Isabella married John Begg at Mossgiel Farm and after a few years the Begg family moved to Dinning Farm in Closeburn Parish, Nithsdale in 1800, after Gilbert Burns moved from there to Morham Mains in East Lothian.

Isabella Burns was returning from his regular trip to Lesmahagow market on a horse that he had been asked to ride because it had become fractious due to lack of exercise.

Isabella Burns was left a widow with nine children with ages from three to eighteen.

The whole family moved to Ormiston where Isabella Burns again ran a school.

Isabella Burns later moved to nearby Tranent when William resigned his post and supported her family with the help of Agnes and Isabella, working as dressmakers.

Isabella Burns was an orphan and had been raised by his uncle, a Mr Campbell of Roughdyke Farm in Sorn parish.

Isabella Burns is described as a quarrier in Mossgiel in the marriage register.

Isabella Burns had been a teacher at Dalmeny Academy and became the schoolmaster of Kinross parish and died aged 80 in the schoolhouse.

Agnes Brown and Isabella Burns never married, both dying at Bridge House.

Gilbert Isabella Burns Begg was a Petty Officer in the Royal Navy, serving at Navarino and in the Crimea.

Isabella kept in touch with Ann Park's illegitimate daughter Elizabeth 'Betty' Burns who had been brought up by Jean Armour and had married.

None of Robert Burns's letters to Isabella are known to survive.

Isabella Burns's siblings had been taught with the same manual.

Isabella Burns identified 'Montgomerie's Peggy' as the housekeeper at Coilsfield House.

Isabella Burns Steven was identified with O Tibbie, I hae seen the day by Isabella Burns.

Isabella Burns's brother died when she was twenty-five years old.

Isabella Burns recalled that her youngest brother John died in 1783 and was buried at Kirk Alloway.

On 10 June 1844 Isabella, now living in Ayrshire, was part of a family reunion in which her nephews Robert, William Nicol Burns and James Glencairn Burns met together on the banks of the Doon in what was a great public event with at least eighty thousand in attendance.

Isabella Burns recalled that Robert never gained any proficiency with the fiddle or the German flute.

Isabella Burns was the only one of Robert Burns's siblings to be photographed.