Letter from Robert Burns to James Hamilton, 27 April 1789
Ellisland near Dumfries 27th April 1789
My dear Sir,
I have written twice to my brother Poet Mr
Turnbull, but as I have not had a word in return from him,
I suspect that he has left Glasgow. - I owe him some money
for copies of his poems. - He sent me 6; one of them I had paid
before, and one of them is still on hand; so the price of four
is ready for him, if he will authorise any body in Dumfries
to receive it or, as I shall be in Mauchline at Whitsunday
or thereabouts, I shall then send it to you by John Ronald,
for I am not acquainted with any of the Carriers in this
country. -
This country has nothing new. - Mankind are the same every
where. - In this place, as in Glasgow I suppose too, of the men
called honest, and the women called chaste, a number supposed
to be near the full half of them are not what they pretend to
to be; and of the remaining half, many of them are thought
to have still worse faults. My Rib begs her compliments to
you. -
I am, Dear Sir, yours sincerely
Rob.t Burns
My dear Sir,
I have written twice to my brother Poet Mr
Turnbull, but as I have not had a word in return from him,
I suspect that he has left Glasgow. - I owe him some money
for copies of his poems. - He sent me 6; one of them I had paid
before, and one of them is still on hand; so the price of four
is ready for him, if he will authorise any body in Dumfries
to receive it or, as I shall be in Mauchline at Whitsunday
or thereabouts, I shall then send it to you by John Ronald,
for I am not acquainted with any of the Carriers in this
country. -
This country has nothing new. - Mankind are the same every
where. - In this place, as in Glasgow I suppose too, of the men
called honest, and the women called chaste, a number supposed
to be near the full half of them are not what they pretend to
to be; and of the remaining half, many of them are thought
to have still worse faults. My Rib begs her compliments to
you. -
I am, Dear Sir, yours sincerely
Rob.t Burns
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/01/32
- Alt. number
- 3.6059
- Date
- 27 April 1789
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Recipient
- Hamilton, James
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/01/32
- Alt. number
- 3.6059
- Date
- 27 April 1789
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Recipient
- Hamilton, James
Description
Letter from Robert Burns to James Hamilton, dated Ellisland, 27 April 1789. Signed Robert Burns. 2 leaves.
In this one page letter dated 31 December 1789, Burns asks a Glasgow acquaintance James Hamilton to pass on payment for poems which he has purchased to a Glasgow poet Gavin Turnbull, whom he has been unable to contact.
Burns explains that he knows no carriers in his new 'country' around Dumfries so he will use a Mauchline carrier whom he trusts to carry the money he owes Turnbull for five poems up to James Hamilton in Glasgow for him to pass on to Turnbull. He then reflects that the people around Dumfries are no different from those in Glasgow and that many 'are not what they pretend to be'.
James Hamilton was a Grocer in Glasgow's Trongate whom Burns knew and trusted. In a letter a month later he confirms the name of the carrier and amount but commiserates with Hamilton on his misfortunes which were presumed to be business ones.
James Hamilton was a Grocer in Glasgow's Trongate whom Burns knew and trusted. In a letter a month later he confirms the name of the carrier and amount but commiserates with Hamilton on his misfortunes which were presumed to be business ones.
Archive information
Place of creation
Themes
Hierarchy
-
Letters from and to Robert Burns
(
a sub-fonds is a subdivision in the archival material)
- Letter from Robert Burns to James Hamilton, 27 April 1789
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