A note concerning the song 'My highland Lassie O'
This was a composition of mine in very
early life, before I was known at all in the
world. - My Highland lassie was a warm-
hearted, charming young creatures as ever blest
a man with generous love. - After a pretty
long tract of the most ardent reciprocal attachment,
We met by appointment, on the
second Sunday of May, in a sequestered spot
by the banks of Ayr, where we spent the
day in taking a farewell, before she
should embark for the West Highlands
to arrange matters among her friends
for our projected change of life. ---- At
the close of Autumn following she crossed
the sea to meet me at Greenock, where
she had scarce landed until she was
seized with a malignant fever which
hurried my dear girl to the grave in
a few days: before I could even hear of
hear of her illness. ----
For the sake of this, & similar anecdotes,
Mr. Riddel will keep these volumes solely
for his private perusal. ----
early life, before I was known at all in the
world. - My Highland lassie was a warm-
hearted, charming young creatures as ever blest
a man with generous love. - After a pretty
long tract of the most ardent reciprocal attachment,
We met by appointment, on the
second Sunday of May, in a sequestered spot
by the banks of Ayr, where we spent the
day in taking a farewell, before she
should embark for the West Highlands
to arrange matters among her friends
for our projected change of life. ---- At
the close of Autumn following she crossed
the sea to meet me at Greenock, where
she had scarce landed until she was
seized with a malignant fever which
hurried my dear girl to the grave in
a few days: before I could even hear of
hear of her illness. ----
For the sake of this, & similar anecdotes,
Mr. Riddel will keep these volumes solely
for his private perusal. ----
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/21
- Alt. number
- 3.6149
- Date
- 1790
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Recipient
- Campbell, "Highland" Mary
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/21
- Alt. number
- 3.6149
- Date
- 1790
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Recipient
- Campbell, "Highland" Mary
Description
A note by concerning the song 'My highland Lassie O'
Here, Burns describes his relationship with Mary Campbell whom he calls 'Highland Mary' and about whom he composed the song My Highland Lassie O. Page describing Burns' relationship with Mary Campbell whom he calls "Highland Mary" and composed a song about titled "My Highland Lassie O". The song was included in Johnson's Scots Musical Museum, a copy of which was in the possession of Burns's neighbour Robert Riddell at Friars Carse when he farmed at Ellisland.
The page was torn from Johnson's Scots Musical Museum, a copy of which was in the possession of Burns's neighbour Robert Riddell at Friars' Carse when he farmed at Ellisland (see object number 3.3009.a-d). Riddell's copy was interleaved with annotation relating to the songs, most of which were written by Burns. Included amongst these was a sheet relating to Highland Mary which is seen here, in which Burns describes his courtship and history of his relationship up to the time of her death in Greenock.
Burns's last sentence is particularly telling of the personal nature of his handwritten notes:
'For the sake of this and similar anecdotes, Mr Riddell will keep these volumes solely for his private perusal.'
This may explain why Burns is recorded as having shown great anxiety to recover the volumes after Riddell's death.
Burns's last sentence is particularly telling of the personal nature of his handwritten notes:
'For the sake of this and similar anecdotes, Mr Riddell will keep these volumes solely for his private perusal.'
This may explain why Burns is recorded as having shown great anxiety to recover the volumes after Riddell's death.
Archive information
Themes
Hierarchy
-
Robert Burns, collection of poems and songs
(
a sub-fonds is a subdivision in the archival material)