I just spent ages putting my blog for today together; closed a picture file - or so I thought - and the whole thing just disappeared! Huh! So, starting all over again now!
I said I would post the pictures of Celeste and Tina today but I couldn't go any further through January without some mention of one who was born on 25th January 1759... Robert Burns - ploughman, bard, Scotland's greatest poet, the toast of the Edinburgh elite, exciseman, drinker, womaniser... and strangely, friend of my great great great grandfather who was minister at the Secession Church in Dumfries, a breakaway from the Established Church..
Burns Encyclopedia says that Burns met Rev. William through the outgoing tenant of Elibank, but a manuscript written by Charles, one of William's grandsons, with added notes from his brother James, states that Burns was sent by the authorities of Dumfries to spy on William, as at that time anything other than the established order was held in deep suspicion. An exciseman at the time, Burns was "asked" to attend a service and report back to the magistrates, which he proceeded to do. On meeting up with the Magistrates again at the Town Hall, he was asked what treason Mr Inglis spoke. Charles writes that Burns was too honourable to twist or pervert words and become a false witness and that he replied that he would give them the gist of the sermon and they could judge for themselves. The Magistrates were not satisfied with that answer and replied, "That is not what we want to hear. What treason did he speak?" but Burns would say no more than he had already said and so, says Charles, the matter ended. (Words in italics are quotes from the MS.) Burns continued to frequent William's church and the two became friends. A plaque on the wall of the old church
gives the following information:
An added note from James says that he remembers his father saying that once when William visited the dying Burns, the poet expressed his deep contrition for his sinful life and immoral writings, and his resolution if he was spared to amend his ways. How history and the perception of the Bard might have been quite different today, had Robert Burns recovered and lived to a ripe old age - and stuck to his resolutions!!!!
OK, Celeste and Tina, it's your day tomorrow, I promise!
Take care, everyone. TTFN!
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