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Letter from Robert Burns to William Niven, 12 June 1781

Key details

Archive number
NTS/02/25/BRN/01/04
Alt. number
3.6030
Date
12 June 1781
On display
No
Creator
Burns, Robert (Author)
Recipient
Niven, William

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Description

Letter from Robert Burns to William Niven, dated Lochlea, 12 June 1781. One of three letters to William Niven, a contemporary of the Poet while a pupil at Kirkoswald. These letters are dated from Lochlee (Lochlea) between July, 1780, and June, 1781, and are the earliest letters of the poet within the National Trust Collection.

This is a two page letter in which Robert Burns wrote to his school friend William Niven now a merchant in Maybole. He deals with the lack of progress in his love life and mentions seeing William's cousin in the local kirk.

Page one starts with Burns commenting on the length of time since they last wrote. He had written to Niven back in February on an undisclosed subject (but the letter has not survived to tell us what this might have been).

He then goes on to enlighten his friend on the absence of his courting activity which Burns imagines Niven will be disbelieving of in view of Burns's reputation with the fair sex. He does however feel he will be unable to re-capture his earlier experience.

The second page deals with his sight of Niven's cousin at the Sunday communion which has pleased him with the recollection of his friendship with Niven and which presumably prompted Burns to write this letter.

He also reports to Niven how well he regarded his cousin's demeanor and although he did not meet him in person believes that he can read his character by merely regarding his face.

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  1. Letters from and to Robert Burns ( )
  2. Letter from Robert Burns to William Niven, 12 June 1781