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Letter from James Glencairn Burns to Jean Burns, 27 July 1812

Key details

Archive number
NTS/02/25/BRN/03/06/09
Alt. number
3.6452
Date
27 July 1812
On display
No
Creator
Burns, James Glencairn (Author)
Recipient
Burns, Jean Armour

Explore correspondence between the creator and recipient

Description

Letter from James Glencairn Burns to Jean Burns, dated Jarra Mirzapore, 27 July 1812.

James Glencairn Burns (1794 – 1865) was the second youngest son of Robert and Jean. He was sent to London for his education and then travelled to India in 1810 to serve in the East India Company’s army. At the end of his long military career he retired as a brevetted Lieutenant-Colonel in the 15th Bengal Native Infantry.

A series of letters from the young James Glencairn Burns to his family and friends survives, detailing his schooling in London, his journey to India and his initial experiences there.

In this letter James assures his mother that his health is restored, but complains of the intolerable heat:
'You cannot concern how hot it is here. A person is in one continued perspiration Night and Day.'

He still believes his chances of promotion to be very bad, even though he has given letters of recommendation to the Major of his Corps. He also laments that his brother William, who had also joined the East India Company, has already been promoted to Ensign in his Corps, whilst he is still a cadet.

Archive information

Place of creation


Hierarchy

  1. Letters, documents and ephemera regarding the family of Robert Burns ( )
  2. Letters and documents relating to James Glencairn Burns ( )
  3. Letter from James Glencairn Burns to Jean Burns, 27 July 1812

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