Jean (Armour) Burns (1765 - 1834)

Born 25 Feb 1765 in Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Wife of Robert Burns — married Apr 1788 in Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland

Descendants

Died 26 Mar 1834 at age 69 in Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland

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Jean (Armour) Burns was a historically significant person of Scotland. Join: Scotland Project Discuss: Scotland

Biography

Jean Armour was the daughter of James, who wrote in the Armour Family Bible;" "We had a Daughter born 26th Febry 1765 called Jean".^[1] Her parents James and Mary (Smith) Armour were residents of Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland.^[2]

Robert Burns wrote the following in honor of all the belles in the town of Mauchline, but especially Jean:

The Belles of Mauchline^[3]

In Mauchline there dwells six proper young belles,

The pride of the place and its neighbourhood a';

Their carriage and dress, a stranger would guess,

In Lon'on or Paris, they'd gotten it a'.

Miss Miller is fine, Miss Markland's divine,

Miss Smith she has wit, and Miss Betty is braw:

There's beauty and fortune to get wi' Miss Morton,

But Armour's the jewel for me o' them a'.

Jean is known for being the wife of the poet, Robert. She was the inspiration for many of his poems. ^[2] Officially, their marriage occurred 5 Aug 1788. "Burns, Robert in Mossgiel and Jean Armour in Machlin came before the Session upon 5 Aug and Acknowledged that they were irregularly married some years ago The Session rebuked both parties for this irregularity and took them solemnly bound to adhere to one another as husband & wife all the days of their life" Parish^[4]

Between the years 1797 and 1801, various transactions were recorded for the support of Robert Burns's family after his decease. Among them are 1799 and 1800 states [statements?] of cash paid for the support for the family "docqueted by Jean Armour as Jean Burns." An 1800 copy indenture for the sale and publication of posthumous and other works of the poet mentions "the children of the deceased Robert Burns and Jean Armour, his spouse (viz. Robert, Frances Wallace, William Nicol[,] James and Maxwell Burns)".^[5]

Jean (Armour) Burns survived her husband by 38 years and died on 26 March 1834.^[2]

Robert Burns

Of a' the airts the wind can blow^[6]

Of a the airts the wind can blow

I dearly like the west.

For there the bonnie lassie lives

the lassie I lo'e best

Where wild woods grow and rivers row

And monie a hill between

But day and night my fancys flight

Is ever wi my Jean.

Children^[7]

1. Robert Burns b. 3 Sep 1786, bpt. 5 Sept 1786 in Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland^[8] d. 14 May 1857
2. Jean Burns1 b. 3 Sep 1786, bpt. 5 Sept 1786 in Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland^[9] d. 20 Oct 1787
3. Unnamed Burns b. 3 Mar 1788,^[10] Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland; d. Mar 1788
4. Unnamed Burns b. 3 Mar 1788,^[10] Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland; d. Mar 1788
5. Francis Wallace Burns b. 18 Aug 1789,^[10] Ellisland, Dunscore, Dumfriesshire; d. 9 Jul 1803
6. William Nicol Burns b. 9 Apr 1791,^[10] Ellisland, Dunscore, Dumfriesshire; d. 21 Feb 1872
7. Elizabeth Riddell Burns b. 21 Nov 1792^[10], Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland; d. Sep 1795
8. James Glencairn Burns b. 12 Aug 1794, bpt. 13 Aug 1794, Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland^[11] d. 18 Nov 1865
9. Maxwell Burns b. 25 Jul 1796^[10], Dumfries, Dumfriesshire, Scotland d. 25 Apr 1799

Sources

1. ↑ Burnsscotland.com Armour Family Bible
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Wikipedia Article Jean Armour
3. ↑ Robert Burns 1784
4. ↑ National Records of Scotland, Transcription and image of irregular marriage entry of Robert Burns, 1788. Parish register of Mauchline, NRS reference OPR 604/20, page 235. Downloadable pdf copy.
5. ↑ http://catalogue.nrscotland.gov.uk/nrsonlinecatalogue/search.aspx : National Records of Scotland : search for Reference #CS97/101/15
6. ↑ Robert Burns poem
7. ↑ List of children from Burness Genealogy and Family History here
8. ↑ "Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTKQ-Z9X : accessed 28 July 2015), Robert Burns, 03 Sep 1786; citing , reference 2:15G9HK5; FHL microfilm 1,041,395.
9. ↑ "Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTKQ-FF7 : accessed 28 July 2015), Jean Burns, 03 Sep 1786; citing , reference 2:15G9HLC; FHL microfilm 1,041,395.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5} Cairney, John. The Luath Burns Companion. Luath Press Ltd, Jan 1, 2011
11. ↑ "Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XT1R-X9V : accessed 28 July 2015), James Glencairn Burns, ; citing Dumfries, Dumfries, Scotland, reference 2:16976BF; FHL microfilm 1,067,959.

See also:

• National Archives of Scotland - The Legacy of Robert Burns

• Ancestry Family Trees, Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.

• /Robert Burns Country, The Burns Encyclopedia

• Burness Genealogy - descendants of Robert Burns

• [http://catalogue.nrscotland.gov.uk/nrsonlinecatalogue/details.aspx?reference=CS97%2f101%2f15&st=1&tc=y&tl=n&tn=n&tp=n&k=&ko=a&r=CS97%2f101%2f15&ro=em&df=&dt=&di=y National Archives of Scotland Robert Burns (poet): curatory and judicial factory papers relating to family

Dates 1798 - 1801]

• BBC -What happened to Robert Burn's Women?

• http://www.robertburns.org/encyclopedia/BurnsJeanArmour1767-1834.160.shtml

• http://www.robertburns.org.uk/Assets/Poems_Songs/boniejean.htm