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Letter from Robert Burns to James Hamilton, 27 April 1789

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

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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.

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  1. Letters from and to Robert Burns ( )
  2. Letter from Robert Burns to James Hamilton, 27 April 1789