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Elizabeth "Betsey" Paton or later Elizabeth Andrew of Lairgieside (1760 – c. 1799) was the daughter of James Paton and Eleanor Helen Paton of Aird Farm, Crossroads, Ayrshire. Following an affair with
Retrieved : 13 February 2012 When the Burns family moved to Mossgiel Farm in March 1784, Betsey returned to her own home, where Robert Burns visited her later that year. In 1786, Elizabeth made a claim on Burns, but accepted a settlement of twenty pounds which the poet paid out of the profits of the Kilmarnock Edition. Loving Burns with heartfelt devotion, she continued to see him after the Burns family had moved to Mossgiel Farm, and he returned these sentiments with more physical than spiritual devotions. Isabella Begg, Burns's youngest sister, stated that although Robert did not love her, "he never treated her unkindly."Mackay, Page 137
She is said to have had a plain face but a good figure. She eventually married John Andrew, a ploughman and widower, on 9 February 1788 in Tarbolton, Ayrshire, Scotland. They had four children; she is said to have been a model housewife. She is presumed to have died before 1799, when John remarried one Jean Lees.
Isabella Begg had heard of Elizabeth Paton as "rude and uncultivated to a great degree... with a thorough (though unwomanly) contempt for every sort of refinement."' In a letter to Robert Chambers she describes Elizabeth as "A well developed, plain-featured peasant girl, frank and independent .." and for these reasons a favourite with Burns's mother. She goes on to say that Elizabeth Paton had a "masculine understanding" and contempt for anything that savoured of culture.Hecht, Page 55
Elizabeth gave birth to Robert Burns's first illegitimate child. Burns's mother, who was fond of Elizabeth, wanted her son to marry her, but his brother
No poems seem to have been inspired directly by Elizabeth Paton, but she may have been in the poet's mind when he wrote ''"The Rantin' Dog."'' A few lines in Burns's first Commonplace Book dated September 1784 relate to her.
In 1784, in the song ''"O Tibbie, I hae seen the day"'', which were addressed to
In this piece the poet may have been referring to Elizabeth as the ''"lass beside yon park"'' although he never confirms this.Mackay, Page 80
Robert Burns
Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...
she gave birth on 22 May 1785 to his first child, Elizabeth "Bess" Burns, the ''"Dear-bought Bess"'', who was baptised when only two days old. Betsey met Robert Burns when she was employed as a servant girl at the Burns's Lochlea FarmHecht, Page 54 during the winter of 1783–84.Burns EncyclopediaRetrieved : 13 February 2012 When the Burns family moved to Mossgiel Farm in March 1784, Betsey returned to her own home, where Robert Burns visited her later that year. In 1786, Elizabeth made a claim on Burns, but accepted a settlement of twenty pounds which the poet paid out of the profits of the Kilmarnock Edition. Loving Burns with heartfelt devotion, she continued to see him after the Burns family had moved to Mossgiel Farm, and he returned these sentiments with more physical than spiritual devotions. Isabella Begg, Burns's youngest sister, stated that although Robert did not love her, "he never treated her unkindly."Mackay, Page 137
Life and character
She is said to have had a plain face but a good figure. She eventually married John Andrew, a ploughman and widower, on 9 February 1788 in Tarbolton, Ayrshire, Scotland. They had four children; she is said to have been a model housewife. She is presumed to have died before 1799, when John remarried one Jean Lees.
Isabella Begg had heard of Elizabeth Paton as "rude and uncultivated to a great degree... with a thorough (though unwomanly) contempt for every sort of refinement."' In a letter to Robert Chambers she describes Elizabeth as "A well developed, plain-featured peasant girl, frank and independent .." and for these reasons a favourite with Burns's mother. She goes on to say that Elizabeth Paton had a "masculine understanding" and contempt for anything that savoured of culture.Hecht, Page 55
Association with Robert Burns
Elizabeth gave birth to Robert Burns's first illegitimate child. Burns's mother, who was fond of Elizabeth, wanted her son to marry her, but his brother Gilbert Gilbert may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Gilbert (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
*Gilbert (surname), including a list of people
Places Australia
* Gilbert River (Queensland)
* Gilbert River (South ...
and his sisters were against such a marriage. As the penalty for impregnating Elizabeth, Burns had to pay a fine of a guinea and he also had to do penance in church before the congregation. He responded by writing three poems: some insignificant lines, when 'rough, rude ready-witted Rankine' twitted him over Miss Paton's condition, followed by the brilliant, but somewhat tasteless, outburst of sexual boastfulness of the 'Epistle to John Rankine' of Adamhill. In this poem, Burns describes his seduction in terms of the field. The 'poacher-court' got to hear of the 'paitrick hen' he had brought down with his 'gun', so he had to 'thole the blethers' and pay the fee. However, he is quite unrepentant; for, as soon as her 'clockin'-time is by' and the child is born, he promises himself further 'sportin' by and by' to get value for his guinea.
When baby ''"bonnie Betty"'' was born Burns expressed fatherly tenderness, forgetting his earlier masculine posturing. In a Poet's welcome to his 'Love-begotten Daughter'Hecht, Page 56 or alternatively 'his bastard wean' we find:
Isabella Steven
Isabella Steven or Tibbie Stein was the daughter of a tenant farmer from Littlehill or Little Hill Farm (NS467305) that adjoined the Burns's farm at Lochlea.Boyle, Page 86 'Stein' is an alternative form of the surname 'Steven'. Littlehill had th ...
, the daughter of a Tarbolton farmer, Burns addresses her with:
See also
*Jean Armour
Jean Armour (25 February 1765 – 26 March 1834), also known as the "Belle of Mauchline", was the wife of the poet Robert Burns. She inspired many of his poems and bore him nine children, three of whom survived into adulthood.
Biography
Born in ...
*Alison Begbie
Alison Begbie, Ellison Begbie or Elizabeth Gebbie (1762–1823), is said to have been the daughter of a farmer, born in the parish of Galston, and at the time of her courtship by Robert Burns she is thought to have been a servant or housekeeper ...
or Elizabeth Gebbie
*Nelly Blair
Nelly Blair, later Nelly Smith (17591820) is sometimes suggested as being Scottish poet Robert Burns' first love.
The true identity of Nell
Burns himself did not identify his 'Handsome Nell' by name. Nelly Kilpatrick has been suggested as being ...
*May Cameron
May Cameron also known as Margaret, Peggy, or Meg Cameron,Burns Encyclopedia
Ret ...
*Ret ...
Mary Campbell (Highland Mary)
Mary Campbell, also known as Highland MaryBurns Encyclopedia
Retriev ...
*Retriev ...
Jenny Clow
Janet, Jennie or Jenny Clow was a domestic servant to Mrs Agnes Maclehose, née Craig (1759-1841), the Clarinda to Robert Burns' Sylvander.Nelly Kilpatrick
Nelly or Nellie Kilpatrick, Helen Kilpatrick or later Nelly Bone (1759–1820). Nelly (usually short for "Helen") was possibly Robert Burns's first love and muse as stated by Isabella Burns.
Early life
Nelly is usually used as a nickname for "He ...
*Jessie Lewars
Jessie Lewars also known as Mrs. James Thomson,Westwood, Page 1 was the youngest daughter of John Lewars, a supervisor of excise. Following the death of her 69-year-old father in 1789, Jessie was only 11 years old, when she and her brother John ...
*Ann Park
Helen Anne Park,Burns Encyclopedia
Retrieved : 27 February 2012 known as An ...
*Retrieved : 27 February 2012 known as An ...
Peggy Thompson
Margaret "Peggy" Thompson, later Margaret Neilson, was the housekeeper at Coilsfield House or Montgomery Castle in Ayrshire, Scotland. She married John Neilsen of Monyfee. The couple lived at Minnybae Farm near Kirkoswald. She was the 'charming ...
*Isabella Burns
Isabella Burns (Isabella Begg) (1771–1858) or Isobel Burns (Isobel Begg) was the youngest sister of the poet Robert Burns, born to William Burness and Agnes Broun at Mount Oliphant Farm on the 27 June 1771 and christened on 2 July 1771 by R ...
References
;Notes ;Sources * Annandale, Charles (1890). ''The Works of Robert Burns.'' Vol 1. Glasgow : Blackie & Son. * Hecht, Hans (1936). ''Robert Burns''. London : William Hodge. * Mackay, James (2004). ''Burns. A Biography of Robert Burns''. Darvel : Alloway Publishing. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Paton, Elizabeth 1760 births 1817 deaths Robert Burns History of East Ayrshire 18th-century Scottish women